Night Fae by Meg Xuemei X.
Chapter 19
The leading beast was a pure hellhound with coal-black fur and eyes burning with dark flames. The other two galloping behind him, one red and the other white, were hybrids. Bloodlust glowed in their crimson eyes, but they bore no flames in them.
A stunningly gorgeous high Fae sat astride the two-headed red hound and urged it forward with a war cry. Although she had a Fae sword strapped across her thigh, she seemed more comfortable with archery. She notched an arrow with an iron head in a classic bow.
The curls of her raven-black hair cascaded down her ivory armor, framing the perfectly symmetrical features of her heart-shaped face. Her deep pink lips parted slightly, as if wanting to whisper a sensual word to a lover.
Behind me, Richie and Charlie sucked in a breath, enthralled by her beauty. All Fae were lovely, and this one was more exquisite than most high Fae women.
She was here to kill me, the burning hate in her dark eyes that were fixed solely on me spelling it all out. But a Night Fae should not have come to hunt me. All Night Fae were Rydstrom’s subjects, not Brigantia’s creatures, unless the Night King had also turned on me, corrupted by the ancient force of the Wild Hunt.
Icy lead fell into the pit of my stomach at my suspicion.
I steeled my heart and forbade myself from dwelling on my mates’ possible betrayal and all the other terrible dark doubts.
Survival first.
My job now was to protect my brother and my team.
“Get behind me!” I shouted at my companions. “Retreat to the forest. Take cover behind the trees. Nox, do the same. Now! Megan, please guard my brother.”
I wouldn’t be able to kill three hounds and a Fae archer if I had to worry about my brother and the others. We couldn’t outrun the hounds, either, and if I fled with my team, we’d all be dead in seconds.
The hounds and the Fae huntswoman closed the distance between us in a heartbeat. The beasts formed a triangular formation with me trapped in the center. They snarled at me threateningly, their saber-like fangs drooling with hunger.
The Night lady still had them on a tight leash, but I had a bad feeling that wouldn’t last long. The hounds wanted to tear into my flesh and taste my blood, and I could see in her eyes that the female Fae wished me great suffering and death.
But she wanted to humiliate me first. I knew the type.
I hadn’t attacked them either, for a couple of good reasons. Mostly I needed to buy more time for my brother and my companions to get as far away as possible. I couldn’t take down all three hounds and the Fae at once, and I wasn’t willing to risk my team being harmed by any of the hunters that slipped through my fingers.
I calculated the quickest, most effective way to take down the Fae and the beasts, my attention fixed on the Night Fae. Yet I didn’t say a word. I left the opening to the lady.
“My lover’s whore,” she hissed in a musical voice that was full of venom, which was a surprising contradiction and quite a skill.
“I don’t know who your lover is, lady,” I said. “I don’t know you.” I winked at her. “And whoever you are referring to, I bet he doesn’t call me a whore in bed.”
“I’m Lady Catlin,” she said.
The name sent chunks of ice into my chest, and I swallowed hard, failing to mask my emotion as a royal Fae should have.
Rydstrom’s past had come to kill me.
He’d given her up and made Brigantia believe that Catlin meant a great deal to him to turn my sister’s attention away from me while he searched for me in the mortal realm.
He’d sacrificed Catlin for my sake, but the guilt had been eating him up. I’d promised him that we’d rescue Catlin from Brigantia’s claws together when we put down the evil queen, but now Brigantia had sent Rydstrom’s ex right into my path for blood and revenge.
It made sense now why Catlin had called me “my lover’s whore.”
I didn’t want to hurt the woman whom Rydstrom used to care about and might still care about a great deal. I wanted to help Rydstrom get Catlin out and offer her a new life. I wanted my mate to be able to ease the burden and guilt he’d borne for so long.
Yet judging from the hatred Catlin had for me, I’d say she hadn’t gotten over the Night King yet. She was still obsessed with him. They said that Fae never knew how to move on. Humans were way more resilient, and their feelings faded faster than the wind, as they carried the burden of mortality.
As a riot of emotions ran through me, Catlin studied me with bitterness and cruel satisfaction, evidently seeing my reaction at hearing her name.
“I have no quarrel with you, Lady Catlin,” I said. “We should not be enemies. Rydstrom is sorry, and we planned to get you out of the Dawn Court.”
She laughed. “Ileana, you have no idea, do you? King Rydstrom got me out already, and we resumed our passion last night. Rydstrom was a stallion in bed, the best I’ve ever had. That’s why I haven’t been able to let him go even after half a century. And last night was all worth it. My king couldn’t get enough of me. Well, don’t look so incredulous. You might not know, but time runs differently in faerie than in the Wild Hunt. My true love has never forgotten me. To make it up to me, he offered me this boon—I came to hunt you and bring your head back to him on a silver plate, and then I’ll be his queen.”
For a second, I saw the sky fall in as the world ended for me. Agony speared me like an icy blade slicing through my gut. I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t care. All I wanted was to roll over and just lie there and let Rydstrom’s bitch take my head. It would be a mercy.
Just like the Winter King, the Night King had also turned on me. Would the Summer King be next? Then all three kings would come for me, hunting me like a wild animal. They’d even fight for the right to end me. I might not even need to wait that long. Rydstrom had sent his old flame to murder me before he came.
My eyes burned and my heart bled, but I straightened my spine. I would never roll over. I might not matter, but my brother was here, and he needed me. I’d do anything in my power to get him out. I owed my parents that much.
Then a ray of light sliced through the recesses of my mind like a laser beam.
I’d been hurt. I admitted it. Two of my ex-boyfriends—a Fae and a human—had betrayed me, which made me hesitant to trust men again. But my Night King was different. Rydstrom was one of the most steadfast males I’d ever met.
And not all men were cheaters.
So, who was I going to trust? My own mate or the words of his bitter ex-lover?
“The thing is, Catlin, I don’t believe you,” I said. “Rydstrom is my mate, and he’d never betray me. He chose me over any other woman even before I was born.”
The pain in me dissipated and the ice melted in my veins. As my head cleared, I felt a nudge against the shield of my mind. My gaze darted to the hellhound, his flaming eyes staring right back at me.
This Fae can lie, Heir, the hellhound said in my head as I dropped the shield. She serves your sister.
The hellhound knew who I was.
My genetic memory and the inbred knowledge about Hell swirled to life like a blooming flower thanks to my encounter with my biological father.
Cerberus had been Lucifer’s faithful hound ever since his fall from Heaven.
Hello, Cerberus. I pushed thoughts and words into his head. What happened to you? Aren’t you supposed to guard Hell? What are you doing here with a lying Fae who treats you like her pet?
He glowered, the twin flames leaping in his eyes. Asmodeus, the double-crossing archdemon, is what happened. He has dealings with the King’s less-favored daughter. He tricked me and sold me to Brigantia as a slave.
I’d been right for not trusting the dark prince of Hell.
That’s very unfortunate, Cerberus, I said with sincere sympathy.
I darted a glance at a golden torque around his massive neck, nearly cutting into his fur. Brigantia was beyond cruel even toward a hound, as she fed only on pain and misery.
Black magic emanated from the collar. That was how my evil sister had enslaved our father’s hellhound.
I pondered a couple of options, my thoughts flying fast.
If we were outside the Wild Hunt, it would be extremely difficult to break apart the torque. But we were in the null zone, where magic was voided. The spell on the torque was greatly weakened, though Cerberus wouldn’t be able to break it himself. That was possibly why my evil sister had been overconfident enough to send the hellhound. Plus, the Wild Hunt wouldn’t be the hunt if it didn’t involve a few hounds.
I can fix your problem, Cerberus, I said. But if I free you, will you help me fight your brethren?
He blinked in confusion, and the flames in his eyes flickered. Who are my brethren?
The hybrids.
He turned to them with a threatening snarl, and the hounds edged a bit further away from him.
I’m unique, Heir, Cerberus said. Free me and I’ll guard you. I’ll kill the Fae and the queen’s hybrids savagely.
I sent my intention to his mind so we could coordinate our efforts.
“Walk away, Lady Catlin,” I said, my eyes never leaving her, as the conversation between the hellhound and me took only seconds in real time. “Do not make an enemy out of King Rydstrom. If he learns that you hunted me, he’ll kill you for sure.”
“You aren’t the Night King’s mate,” she screamed. “You think you’re special to him, just like every woman before you. You’re nothing to him, and he’ll forget you just as he once forgot about me. I know more about men than you, little whore. I’m not the same Night Fae he took to bed. I have so much more to offer now. He’ll see that I’m his true love once you’re dead.”
“It won’t work the way you want, Catlin,” I said. “Rydstrom never loved you. Nor will he ever love you. I’m asking you to walk away and live a new life for Rydstrom’s sake because he still cares about you.”
“You’re wrong.” She flashed me a victorious smile. “Queen Brigantia told me that you were the reason that I suffered for decades. The queen promised to give King Rydstrom to me after I bring her your severed head. I bet you knew already that the Night King will hunt you down in person in the last bout. Even he can’t fight the magical demand of the Wild Hunt. I’m actually doing him a great favor by slaying you for him, so he won’t need to get his hands dirty. He’ll appreciate it, and he’ll be mine forever.”
“You’re just another one of Brigantia’s victims,” I sighed.
What was I going to do with my mate’s ex-lover? I didn’t want to kill her, but she’d try everything to kill me, believing I was the obstacle to her happiness and the barrier between her and my mate.
“Die, Ileana!” Catlin released the arrow.
It whooshed toward my face. My hand lashed out and snatched the arrowhead three inches from my left eye.
“I’m not just any High Fae, unlike you,” I said, tossing the arrow onto the forest floor. “Iron has no effect on me. For Rydstrom’s sake, I’m forgiving your offense to the true queen of the Dawn Court, and I’m offering you one last chance to live. Walk away now, Lady Catlin, and find something meaningful to do with your life.”
“Bring the boy!” Catlin shouted.
To my horror, Charlie stepped into the clearing, pressing a sharp knife against my brother’s throat. My eyes narrowed, fear for Nox turning my blood to ice. I’d thought someone in my team might turn on me at some point, but I’d never expected Charlie to be the traitor. He looked weak and innocent. He looked like my easygoing brother Emmett.
In front of my eyes, Charlie transformed into a swaggering, wicked goon as he roughly dragged my brother toward Catlin, using Nox as his shield. Catlin drank in the terror in my eyes, and hers glinted with insidious delight.
I would do anything to save my brother. I wasn’t beyond begging. I wouldn’t be ashamed of pleading with Charlie if I thought he still had an ounce of conscience, but I knew that if someone was willing to harm a child, their conscience was already dead.
“So, you’ve been working with the usurper queen all along, Charlie?” I asked as coolly as I could, a lethal undercurrent lacing my voice. “You fooled me.”
“It’s the only way to end the game,” Charlie said, violent glee in his eyes. He’d probably never felt so powerful and important in his entire life as he did in this moment. “It’s not personal, Evie. I’ve always been the smartest kid in the room. I saw what you could do. None of the humans could beat you by fighting you directly. So I joined you temporarily but kept my eyes open to look for a way out. You’re a dead woman walking, and you just don’t know it. Sooner or later, you’ll be dead. You can’t change that. No one can. So I chose the winning side. To earn my keep, I have to contribute. They say everyone has a weakness, and yours is your family. You’d die for them rather than save yourself. How about this? I’ll spare your brother if you surrender yourself to Lady Catlin and me.”
The fear in Nox’s eyes broke my heart. My brother had been taken, beaten, starved, and shoved into the arena to be hunted. Just as he’d believed he’d be safe under my protection after our reunion, someone he’d thought was protecting him was going to slit his throat.
Richie and Megan inched toward Charlie from behind, but they wouldn’t reach my brother in time. Hidden atop a tree branch, Jill swept her gun between Catlin and Charlie, but I didn’t trust anyone’s aim other than mine.
I held up my hand to halt my team. “Leave it to me.”
Rydstrom had wanted to save Catlin and make atonement to her, but no one who threatened or touched my family would be allowed to breathe.
The Night Fae bitch was going to die.
“Kneel, Ileana,” Catlin ordered. “Put your hands behind your head.”
I bent my knee for show and called out to my brother. “Nox, close your eyes!”
And he did.
A hidden throwing star slid out of my sleeve. My jacket, woven with special material from faerie, was disguised armor, designed by the most talented Night Fae blacksmith and refined by a Summer Fae weapon master. When I summoned weapons from it, weapons appeared.
The throwing star flew toward Charlie and split his face into two before he could widen his eyes in disbelief.
My clever brother instantly freed himself from Charlie’s grip before the dipshit fell in a heap. Richie and Megan raced to Nox and pull him toward them, and they fled together.
My air passage opened up, and a breath of relief left my lips.
A bowstring vibrated as three iron arrows soared toward me, one darting toward my eye, one to my throat, and the last one to my chest. I ducked, leapt, and smacked down all three arrows with Netherbane. Before Catlin could release another sequence of arrows, I’d drawn my big rifle and leveled it in front of me.
The Legend Heavy spewed out bullets, piercing Catlin’s armor.
Her eyes bulged in outraged denial as she lowered her elegant head and stared at the crimson blood blossoming out of her chest armor.
I’d underestimated Brigantia, but she’d also made the same mistake.
She was afraid of my power, so she and the Furies had decided to limit magic usage in this round of the Wild Hunt. She’d neglected to consider that I was raised and trained in the human world and that I was absolutely fine with using modern firearms. I was more familiar than any Fae with modern weaponry. She hadn’t foreseen that I’d sleep with knives and guns and would bring my gear with me when she had me dragged to the arena right in front of Lucifer—another fatal mistake of hers.
The most formidable fallen archangel, the once divine being, never forgave.
“You made a mistake, Catlin,” I said. “No one touches my family.”
During the mêlée, I’d fed a series of bullets into her red hound’s two skulls and added a couple of daggers to make sure it stayed dead. I’d already wounded the beast anyway when blowing up its rider, so it was kind of a mercy to put it out of its misery.
“Dad planned to use the elephant gun to hunt a dinosaur,” I added. “It was kind of wasted on you, lady. I told you to walk away, but you wouldn’t listen. You were too consumed by your useless, insane jealousy.”
I slung the rifle behind my back and pulled out Netherbane, feeling badass again. The bullets from the Legend Heavy were a valuable resource, and I needed to save some for the bigger players that would come to hunt me next. Of that, I had no doubt.
Catlin’s body dropped to the ground on top of her hound. Their flesh and bones mixed together in a grotesque heap, and my stomach turned. No matter how many battles I’d gone through, I could never get used to the carnage.
I turned away from the brutal sight just as Cerberus and the white hound lunged at me, their crimson eyes glowing, their jaws wide open, displaying long, sharp fangs. Cerberus was compelled to hunt me unless I freed him.
A grenade went off. One of my companions must have thrown the explosive device in panic. It only blew up hard dirt, leaves, and plenty of twigs. The hounds tore through the chaos toward me.
“Don’t use a grenade again!” I shouted as I leapt and landed on Cerberus’s back. He reached for me with a vicious snarl. “And do not touch this black hellhound!”
Without missing a beat, I pressed Netherbane against the inner torque around the hellhound’s neck, the end of my blade pushing into his pelt. He bared his fangs and tried to shake me off his back.
Be still. Trust me. I pushed my thoughts into his head as I sliced through the collar that bound him. Dark sparks shot up my arm, erosive pain crawling over my skin. I gritted my teeth and endured the burn.
The torque opened with a snapping sound, and Cerberus tore it off his neck with a growl of rage and gratitude. He whipped around like a black hurricane and hurled himself into the white hound as the hybrid swatted at me with his blade-like claws.
I moved like liquid and slid off Cerberus’s back, not planning to get in his way while he was about to vent his pent-up anger the only way he knew how—with violence.
A hellhound’s temper was notoriously terrifying. Without the collar limiting him, Cerberus could easily take care of the hybrid. I left the battle of the beasts to him.
As I searched out my brother and my companions, they stepped gingerly from behind the trees, their shaking hands gripping their weapons. I nodded at my team with appreciation as I noticed that they’d patched my brother up with the first-aid kit I’d brought. Charlie’s knife had nicked the skin of Nox’s neck.
“Is this over?” Richie asked tentatively as the team gathered around, or more precisely, stood behind me to watch the hellhound beating up the hybrid.
The two hounds—one pure and one hybrid—snarled gutturally as they tore into each other. A black blur crashed into the white form, blood splashing where claws met flesh. Then they no longer spun around each other but locked jaws. The slashing and tearing sounds reflected the brutality of nature and survival.
The hybrid was sly. It broke free suddenly before the hellhound could pound it down, feinted a frontal attack, then whipped around and bit into Cerberus’s rear.
The hybrid struck, its claws slashing and aiming to tear open Cerberus’s insides from behind.
I could jump into the fray, but I knew Cerberus wanted this kill. He demanded it, and I wouldn’t take it away from him.
With a ferocious snarl and mighty force, Cerberus hurled the hybrid away. He then leapt in an arc, almost flying, while the hybrid was still spinning in the air. Cerberus caught the hybrid, his jaw closing on his opponent’s throat and ripping it open. He extended his blade-like claws and sliced through the hybrid’s other head.
Light dimmed in the gray hound’s crimson eyes, and it ceased to move. Cerberus raised his black head to the sky and howled.
The hair on my arms stood on end.
My companions shuddered behind me; their fear palpable.
I glanced at them over my shoulder. “You guys need to practice quiet breathing. We’ll also need to cover our skin with mud and plants to disguise our scent before the third host of huntsmen comes our way. We don’t want them to locate us right away.”
But then, on second thought, masking our scent to throw the huntsmen off our trail might not make any difference, as the game was already rigged.
“I still can’t fucking believe that dickshit pulled a stunt like that,” Megan said. “The throwing star was too good for him. I’m sorry, Evie; I failed you. I didn’t guard your brother well.”
“I never thought that wimp would turn on us,” Richie murmured. “I should have paid more attention. I should have protected Nox better.”
“He was so stupid,” Nox spat. “Commander Evie is the best, and no one beats my sister!”
“Dumb people don’t think they’re dumb,” Jill said.
Cerberus stopped howling and turned to stare at me. Tension and fear poured off my companions in waves, and they all thrust whatever they had in front of them—be it a rifle or a knife—to discourage the hellhound.
“He’s fine,” I said. “He vowed not to harm us. No matter how unhinged he is now, the hellhound has honor, which is more than I can say about most humans. Cerberus has been enslaved for a long time.”
Richie averted his eyes, ashamed, but my criticism wasn’t aimed at him.
Jill blinked. “The Cerberus from mythology?”
I regarded the hellhound fondly. “One and the same.”
I didn’t remind her that Lucifer was real, too, and he was also my father.
Cerberus padded toward me with a silent, powerful gait. When he reached me, he rubbed his massive head against my shoulder. He tried not to touch me with his snout, as it was still dripping blood.
“You’re free now,” I said, sinking my fingers into his thick fur in affection. For a second, my thoughts flicked to the Summer King’s lion form. I’d always loved the king’s silky, golden fur. I’d developed quite a taste for lethal, beautiful things.
Where were my mates now? I gave the space behind the hellhound’s ears a good rub as I allowed my thoughts to linger a bit longer on my beloved kings. My sudden disappearance must have wrecked them. Were they somewhere in the arena, coming for me?
“Go back—go home, Cerberus.” I stuttered a little, since I’d almost said “go back to Hell”to him, but then, Hell was literally his home.
The hellhound pulled away, regarding me with a pair of flaming eyes.
I’m staying, Heir, he said. Let me guard you.
I accept your offer, I said. But you need a new name.
Why?
How does Joy sound to you? We all need some joy in life.
He cocked his head and thought for a second. Joy is fine. I don’t like sadness either. I enjoy violence.
I’m sure, Joy.
I wasn’t going to rename him Violence to encourage him. I turned to my companions and swept a hand toward the hellhound. “Guys, meet Joy, our new team member.”
My companions stared at the hellhound with equal fear and fascination. Nox sidled up to my other side and peeked at the hellhound with a grin.
“May I pat him?” my brother asked, forgetting that a moment ago he’d almost shat his pants at the sight of the hounds.
Boys were boys.
Joy growled.
I gave the hellhound a chiding look. “Be nice to my brother.”
I’m no one’s pet, the hellhound said flatly. And he smells different than you.
“He doesn’t like it, Nox,” I said. “Maybe when you two become friends, you can hug him.”
Not a chance, Joy said, baring his teeth. I’m not the hugging type.
“We’ll soon become friends,” Nox said brightly. “I have so much to show Joy.”
The hellhound rolled his flaming eyes.
Seriously? What was the world coming to?
Megan broke the moment by springing to where Catlin had fallen and snatching her blade. The Fae sword had a jeweled pommel of silver steel.
“Can I have this—the spoils of war?” Megan asked. “Please, Evie, pretty please?”
“Take it.” I shrugged. “But try not to bat your eyes at me again. It doesn’t work on me.”
Just like all the others, she hadn’t protected my brother as I’d asked and expected her to. She’d let Charlie take my brother. She hadn’t shown her black belt skill, and I bet that she’d earned that level only in class. But now I wouldn’t need to rely on any of “my team.” I had the hellhound, a guardian more faithful and reliable than any human.
Megan flashed me a wide grin with Catlin’s sword in her hand, but I ignored her.
Joy. I scratched his head. I don’t need you to guard me. Please safeguard and protect my little brother.
The hellhound slanted a glance at Nox, who still beamed at him like a fan boy. I’ll guard you both, then. He sighed as if he sacrificed a lot by promising that.
My hellhound wasn’t going to leave my back unguarded.
“Where are we going now?” Richie asked, still regarding the hellhound warily. “Time to go, right?”
“I don’t want to stay here one more second,” Jill agreed, her eyes still wide under her glasses. “The stench of blood makes me sick. I’ve never seen so much death and violence in my life. I might never be right again even if I survive and go home.”
I didn’t know how to comfort them.
“Let’s keep going east,” I said. “We need to find shelter before the next trial starts.”
My companions looked grimmer.
Heir. The hellhound nudged me. I know a shelter.
“You truly are a joy,” I praised him.
I’d ask the hellhound more about Brigantia and collect as much intel as I could when we reached the shelter.
Richie sidled up to me, a riot of bitterness, disappointment, fear, anxiety, and exhaustion haunting his boyishly good-looking face. This hadn’t been the romantic escapade he’d pictured when he came to California looking for a hookup.
A wave of sympathy for the rich, privileged boy washed over me before vanishing like mist. I was no longer the Evelina Greene who sat on a college boy’s lap, giggling and boozing at a fancy party.
I was morphing into Ileana—my birthright.
