King of the Unblessed Page 9

“Greetings, King Merrick,” Ean’s low, rich voice said. The image solidified, looking as real as the guard behind it. Merrick frowned, refusing to find pleasure in seeing his brother’s face after so long. He noted the subtle lines along the edge of Ean’s youthful eyes, knowing that stress and little sleep put them there. He felt a connection to Ean, knew his brother felt the briefest of his emotions—though Ean could never know how deeply Merrick’s emotions ran. As the Unblessed King, he couldn’t help but wonder why Ean didn’t just sever the tie. Undoubtedly, it was so he could always track him, just as Merrick could track Ean. No matter what they had once been, now they were enemies. “Thank you for seeing to the safety of my men.”

  Merrick snorted, not bothering to hide his look of contempt. The goblins laughed, this time joined by the loud troll, Volos. The grating, loud noise echoed off the stone walls, making it sound as if three times as many subjects were in his hall. The elfin visitors shifted their weight, their hands instinctively lifting to rest on the swords at their waists. Merrick knew his brother’s men had nothing to fear—yet. The goblins would not attack unless he ordered it.

  “I wish to extend my hand in invitation,” Ean’s message continued. “It has been far too long since we last spoke. If you’re agreeable, we shall meet in the borderland at Rivershire. I will be there two days hence.”

  Merrick didn’t move. Ean’s image bowed and disappeared into a thin veil of mist. Merrick took a sip of wine, saying nothing.

  “Have you an answer for my king?” Gregor asked, stepping forward. His face was stiff with anger at Merrick’s callous treatment.

  Merrick tilted his head back slightly, eyeing the man. “I’m sorry, Gregor, I had not realized you’d gone from commander to courier.”

  “Your answer?” Gregor was no match for Merrick and he knew it.

  “Will not be given to you.” Merrick scowled menacingly. “Now, you are in my home uninvited. Go, lest my good humor desert me. Be thankful I’m in no mood to torture you this day.”

  Gregor snarled, but slowly nodded. Custom dictated that he obey, as did prudence. The commander had already pressed his luck by entering the hall against the king’s wishes. He took several steps back, keeping his eyes on Merrick. When he neared the door to the main hall, he turned on his heels. The Tegwen guards strode from the castle.

  Merrick crushed his hand, making the chalice disappear. His eyes scanned the hall. The goblins and Volos went back about their business as if nothing had happened, laughing and plotting their mischief. It had been a long time since he’d seen Ean and against his better judgment he wanted to—not that seeing him would change anything. It couldn’t. Fate had seen to it that they were enemies.

  Merrick again looked about at his goblin court. There was no one in the hall from whom to get council. He thought of Juliana, longing for her nearness, even if his intent would be to torment her. With that in mind, he stood and moved toward the black garden.

  Just one look, he told himself. Just a peek to see how she fairs on her little adventure.

  * * *

  Juliana stopped walking. She was so exhausted. All she wanted to do was sleep. Oh, and eat something other than nuts and berries. What she wouldn’t give for meat—roasted boar, chicken, venison, anything. She moaned and whispered to herself, “Mm, herbed potatoes, fresh baked bread, apple tarts.”

  “I’ll get the firewood!” Gorman called. Juliana flinched at his loud voice.

  “I’ll get the food!” Halton answered, sounding cheery.

  “Sure,” she mumbled, finding a log and sitting on it. “That’s because they haven’t spent the last three days playing cart horse.”

  Frowning, she watched the two sprights hop off. They looked positively happy to be camping in the woods. It was the same attitude they had each night. Though, to be fair, they didn’t know the weight she carried. Her stomach knotted each time she thought of the children, picturing their faces in her mind. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to them.

  “Please bring back something besides berries,” she whispered, letting her head fall into her hands. She suppressed a yawn, knowing she should be thankful for their company at all.

  “Sprights don’t eat anything but berries and nuts most of the time.”

  “So I’ve learned,” Juliana answered before the fact that someone other than Gorman, Halton and Merrick spoke to her—not that she’d seen the frustrating man recently. Her head snapped up. “Who said that?”

  Suddenly, one of the boulders on the other side of the path began to move. A squat little round man with chubby red cheeks and tiny features popped his head up. His hat, jacket and long beard were the perfect gray of stone and blended him quite well to his surroundings. His beard touched and dragged on the ground as he moved. “Domovoi Djedoesjka at your service.”

  “Are you a garden gnome?” Juliana asked, studying the little man.

  “Garden gnome?” Domovoi spat, appearing insulted by the very idea. Gingerly, he threw the beard over his shoulder and waddled forward. “I be not a garden gnome! I be woodland. Does this look like a garden to you?”

  “Pardon me, sir,” Juliana answered, momentarily forgetting her problems as the gnome inspected her.

  “Pardon you for what?” the gnome asked, blinking his little eyes rapidly. “Did you do something to my mud?”

  “Mud?” Juliana asked.

  “Aye, mud,” he repeated. His tiny hand reached to grab hers. Before she knew what he was doing, he jerked her down and inspected her hands. Seeing a dirty smudge on her palm, he scratched at it then sniffed. “Do you think it was growin’ there waitin’ for just anyone to come along and take it?”

  “You…grow mud?” Juliana asked, having little doubt the gnome was crazy. She looked around for the sprights. They were nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t even hear them, which was rare.

  “Then how exactly does it get there without someone tending to it? Magic?” the gnome asked with a snort. To her dismay, he tapped his tongue on the dirt smudge and tasted it. He made a face and let her go.

  “I’m beginning to believe there isn’t much magic, just creatures unlike myself,” Juliana said, wiping her hand on her skirt.

  At that Domovoi frowned. He shook his head, soon forgetting his anger. “Magic be all around you, child. What do you think this forest be?”

  “Abandoned,” she mumbled dryly.

  His frown deepened, though his eyes softened. “Abandoned? With all the creatures here now?”

  “There are more of you?” She shivered, looking around her for other signs of life. She saw nothing.

  “Aye, you don’t bother us, we don’t bother you.” Domovoi chuckled. “We be thankful you be keeping ’em entertained.”

  Juliana frowned. Him or them? She couldn’t understand. Did he mean Merrick? Or the sprights? “You’re the third creature…ah, fifth if you count Merrick and the dragon, I’ve actually seen in three days.”

  “Be it because of ’em you’ve been traveling around in circles?”

  “Aye.” Juliana stiffened, rising to her feet. “Wait, circles? What do you mean circles?”

  “We’ve watched you for three days, making two circles a day through the forest with the meddlesome sprights on your shoulder.” Domovoi shrugged and moved as if to leave. “Seems like a waste of time if you ask us, but you haven’t, so we didn’t.”

  “Wait, please, sir,” Juliana said, tensing. Nausea grew from the pit of her stomach. She clutched her waist, taking deep breaths. How could they? Tears welled in her eyes, burning her nose. She refused to cry. Her voice shaking, she asked, “Are you saying that I’ve just spent the last three days walking in giant circles?”

  “Aye.” Domovoi took off his hat and scratched the back of his head. “I’d heard humans were slow creatures. But that be all right. I’ll just have to remember to talk slower so you can understand me.”

  Domovoi again began to turn. Juliana took a step for him. “Please, sir, can you tell me how to find King Luci
en? Am I anywhere close to his palace?”

  “Sure. You be wanting the Fire Palace. He spends his time there. Don’t come out much that I know of.”

  Did he say Fire Palace? Wasn’t she supposed to be going to the Black Palace? She was so tired, she couldn’t be sure anymore. Juliana took a deep breath, fighting the torturous ache in her head. “Are you sure King Lucien wouldn’t be at the Black Palace? I was told to find him there.”

  “Aye, he might be, but you’d really have better luck at the Fire Palace.”

  “Can you tell me how to get to the Fire Palace?” Juliana insisted when he again turned to leave.

  “Now, why would a thing like you want to get to a place like that?” Domovoi frowned. His face scrunched up with worry. Juliana was in no mood to explain. She wasn’t sure she understood it herself.

  “I don’t have a choice. I have to ask the king something.” Juliana swallowed. The way Gorman and Halton talked of Lucien nonstop for three days, she was pretty sure she knew what she’d have to ask. She’d have to ask him to take her soul in exchange for the children’s freedom. No doubt Merrick was a demon who worked for King Lucien. On many occasions, she’d wanted to ask them about Merrick, but something stopped her. Maybe she didn’t want to hear the truth of him—not when he was so much in her thoughts. And maybe she was scared they’d see through her—see that she desired Merrick. It was too shameful.

  “Come on, then. I’ll get you where you be goin’. But we had better hurry. The dew-beetles have been singin’ off pitch and the grass blows in three different directions. It be going to rain in a week and three hours, give or take a minute, and I have a new crop of mud to harvest.”

  Juliana looked at the forest for Gorman and Halton. Did she follow the gnome? Or did she wait for the sprights? Obviously, she couldn’t trust either of them. The sprights had led her in circles for days. She knew they were worried about her selling her soul, but she couldn’t help that.

  It turned out she didn’t have to decide. The gnome walked excruciatingly slow and had only gone past five trees by the time the two sprights hopped in front of her. Their arms were laden with sticks and nuts.

  “Where you going?” Halton asked cheerfully.

  “Apparently in circles,” Juliana quipped, glaring down at him. He flinched, looking at Gorman with his tiny bundle of sticks.

  “She knows!” Halton whispered loudly.

  “I got this,” Gorman answered, before turning to her. He tried to blink innocently, but she wasn’t fooled. “Whatever do you mean, my lady giant?”

  Juliana raised a brow, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Oh,” Gorman said. “That.”

  “That,” Halton repeated. “Oh.”

  “Aye, that!” Juliana fumed. “How could you lead me in circles? Do you know what you have done? What you have cost me?”

  They shrugged, blinking their big eyes.

  “Don’t be mad, my lady giant,” Gorman said.

  “We only meant to save you from harm,” Halton added.

  Juliana shook her head and stomped off. It was getting late and she was exhausted, but she couldn’t stop to rest now. She’d already wasted too much time. These two obviously weren’t as helpful as they seemed. She’d have to try her luck with the gnome. It didn’t take her long to catch up to him and at the rate Domovoi walked, she’d end up carrying him as well.

  * * *

  When Lady Juliana was out of sight, Gorman looked at Halton. “She’s a touchy one, eh?”

  “All we tried to do was save her.” Halton leapt up to a branch and craned his neck to see her. “Poor dear.”

  Gorman joined him on the branch. “Good thing we didn’t tell her about that group of human riders.”

  “How do you know they were humans? They didn’t smell like humans.”

  “I met a human once,” Gorman said, nodding.

  “When?”

  “It was a Tuesday.” Gorman’s chest puffed up with self-importance. “I know they’re human because of their horses. I’ll warrant those men are up to no good. Their eyes are too shifty as they look through the forest.”

  “Aye, no use worrying her about that. We’ve led her around and back away from them. They’ve gone on ahead toward King Merrick’s. No good could come of humans going to King Merrick’s.”

  “Aye, good thing she has us to look after her. Come on then, let’s follow her and keep the simple creature out of trouble.” Gorman hopped down.

  “Aye, good thing.” Halton followed him. “Though, let’s stay out of her sight. She appears to want to try things on her own.”

  “Ah, poor simple creature.” Gorman shook his head.

  “Poor, poor simple creature.”

  * * *

  Juliana followed Domovoi for about a half-hour. The air had cooled, but was pleasant. They didn’t make it very far at the gnome’s pace, but she didn’t pay attention, using her time to think. Thankfully, the two deceitful sprights stayed away. She wasn’t in the mood for them at the moment. Hearing water, she stopped and looked up from her place on the path.

  “Well, I got you where you be going,” Domovoi said.

  Juliana’s brow furrowed. It just looked like more forest to her. “The Fire Palace?”

  “Nay, why would I take you there? My instincts, and my nose I might add, told me to take you here.” Domovoi waved toward a shrub.

  “To a shrub?” Juliana asked.

  “Nay,” Domovoi scowled and waddled over to the bush, pulling it aside, he showed her a clearing. Juliana gasped despite herself. Stars sprinkled the night. They almost seemed to dance around the full moon. A large pond reflected the heavens, as if the stars were caught within the water. “To bathe. You be startin’ to offend the woodland creatures. They be already edgy, being as the snow only lasted one day. They didn’t get their rest and be right testy at that. I don’t know what the wizards be doing.”

  “Is it safe?” she asked, feeling a little breathless.

  “Aye,” Domovoi answered. “It be deep for me. For you, not as much.”

  “I mean…is there anything in it?”

  “Like what?” Domovoi waddled over to the water and looked in. She saw his reflection looking back at him.

  “Nixies,” Juliana said quietly, joining him at the water’s edge. If a little gnome wasn’t afraid, she wouldn’t be either.

  Domovoi laughed. “Nixies? Whoever heard of a Nixie?”

  “Oh.” Juliana sighed. She tapped the surface with her hand. It was warm and inviting. “Nobody will see me?”

  The gnome frowned, looking her up and down with a careful eye. “Who’d want to?”

  “Ah, good point,” she said, nodding slowly. She was too tired to care.

  “There you be,” Domovoi said, waddling away.

  Juliana watched after him as he disappeared. Belatedly, she called softly, “Thank you.”

  There was no answer. She glanced around. It really was too beautiful to resist. Sitting on the ground, she took off her boots. The ground was moist under her bare feet and it felt good to stretch her toes. Slowly, she pulled out of her overtunic wishing she had a change of clothes. With another look around, she assured herself that no one would see her and tugged the thin chemise over her head.

  * * *

  Merrick watched the basin with rapt attention. Knowing the sprights had run her in circles brought a smile to his face. She still searched for King Lucien and that bothered him for some inexplicable reason, but he didn’t wish to be the one to correct her. It wasn’t like she’d find the Demon King. He debated on whether or not to tell her he was the King of the Unblessed, but something kept him from getting involved. Let her find her own way. It was her adventure and he could do little to protect her. That was the bargain they’d made, whether she knew it or not.

  Or was it that he would do little to protect her? Merrick frowned, not liking the doubts that plagued him. He didn’t want to be conflicted.

  Merrick leaned forward with interest. His bo
dy stirred to life, his shaft erect with desire. He’d seen her change, had watched her do so many times, unabashed, but there was something erotic to the way the pale moonlight caressed her skin. Or maybe it was the fact that she was alone, in his world, within his control. He could go to her, touch her, kiss her—how he’d dreamt of kissing her.

  Juliana made her way into the water. The surface rippled, undulating around her thighs. Moonlight reflected off the water, dancing on her stomach and breasts. She looked thinner from her travels, a small change to be sure, but she was still beautiful. Her breasts were ripe, the perfect size for his hands. The nipples hardened like beacons, calling to his lips. How sweet it would be to feel them. He wanted to taste her, drink the sweet water of the pond from her flesh.

  Dark hair fell long over her back, touching her hips. A thatch of dark nether curls drew his attention. It was almost unbearable agony. He thought of relieving himself, but a strange sense of pride and self-loathing kept him from dipping his fingers down the front of his breeches. His heart tightened in his chest. Looking made the heartache worse, and yet he couldn’t turn away.

  * * *

  Juliana shivered with pleasure as she stepped into the pond. Slowly, she lowered herself into the water. It felt wonderful and she ran her hands over her body to wash. Shivering again, she felt like she was being watched. But as she looked around, calling out softly, she detected nothing in the forest. Domovoi had hinted there was no one interested enough to watch her. Gnomes and sprights were probably as attracted to her as she was to them. The thought gave her some comfort.

  A soft moan tried to escape her, but was cut off by a sudden howling. Juliana stiffened. She stood, crossing her arms over her breasts as she looked over the rocky shoreline surrounded by forest. She took a deep breath and then another. The howl sounded again, but was farther away.

  Juliana tried to relax. She felt something brush by her leg and stiffened once more. A fish? She tried to see beneath the glassy surface. Nothing.

  “How did I get here?” she whispered. She closed her eyes and thought of Merrick. She tried to hate him, but couldn’t—not completely. Oddly, she missed him.