Unseelie Queen

Chapter One

STEPPING THROUGH THE portal into the Unseelie realm, Asha was instantly drenched by the raging storm. Thunder rumbled almost constantly and the ground shook beneath her feet, leaving her feeling unsettled. Lightning struck a nearby grove of trees that were swaying madly in the wind. She faintly felt their pain as electricity poured through them. One of the trees shattered and she winced in reaction to its death. Everything here was her enemy, including the trees, but as a half dryad, she felt an affinity for all plants.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw that the portal was no longer visible. Jake Everett had changed the magical doorways that led to the Unseelie lands. They could now only be accessed from Earth and there was no going back for her now. She had to face her destiny alone to become the queen of this dismal realm.

Asha had assumed she would be found quickly by Unseelie warriors and that they would take her to the palace, but none had shown up to teleport her away yet. Shivering in the driving rain, she put her head down and began to walk. It was too dark for her to make out where the Unseelie palace was. For now, she just wanted to find some shelter.

After a couple of hours of walking, she came to the edge of a forest. Previously, it would have been dangerous for her to enter it. Now it seemed the trees were more concerned about the apocalyptic weather than her. She picked up from them that the storm had been raging for days and was showing no signs of abating.

With the deaths of Prince Sindarian and one of his top warriors, the realm had become unstable. It was forbidden to take the life of fairies and other fae beings for this very reason. The balance needed to be restored and that was apparently her quest. She’d been named Asha Trinity when she’d been abandoned in Texas as a baby. Asha meant balance in the dryad language and trinity meant three, of course. She was supposed to stabilize the storms before they could spread to other lands. Unfortunately, she had no idea how she was going to accomplish that task.

Sheltered beneath the canopy of the strange and somehow ominous trees, Asha followed a path that had been made by unknown animals. She’d come here with only the clothes she was wearing. Weaponless, she was defenseless and vulnerable. Although she’d had a few months of practice hunting monsters, she wasn’t an experienced tracker and had no idea what sort of creatures had made the pathway.

Walking for a few more hours, the darkness receded slightly as a pale, wan dawn arrived. Soggy birds and other animals ventured out from their hidey-holes, looking as miserable as she felt.

Passing too closely to a tree, Asha was startled when a root surged out of the ground and curled around her ankles. Yanked off her feet, she was dragged along the muddy ground and into the shrubbery. Cursing and struggling futilely, she shuddered when another root squirmed over to her and covered her mouth. Instead of rending her apart, the tree whispered in her mind for her to be still.

The last time she’d been in an Unseelie forest, the trees had been her foes. Something had changed and they were now neutral towards her. She assumed it was because of her goblin blood and that she’d at least partially embraced her inner monster. What is it? she telepathically asked the tree. The answer came in the form of fuzzy images. She saw a huge boar-like animal with beady black eyes trotting along the path she’d just been on. Judging by its sharp teeth and tusks, it was carnivorous.

Remaining still until long after the beast was gone, Asha thanked the tree for its help. The roots remained tightly around her for a few moments before they suddenly withdrew. She had no idea why the tree had helped her. Everything in this realm had been twisted by the Unseelie fairies’ evil. Their malice had spread throughout the entire territory, blighting the plants and animals alike.

Now that she was aware there were dangerous beasts lurking within the forest, Asha was more alert. The path meandered around the larger trees, obscuring her view so she moved with caution rather than sauntering along. It was easy to make out the tracks of the boar in the muddy dirt. She just hoped it would keep going and that she wouldn’t run into it. Both dryads and goblins were long-lived, but she didn’t think they were immortal. While she was hard to kill and could heal quickly, she didn’t want to put her mortality to the test.

Remembering she had the means to anticipate an attack, she sent out her senses. She immediately picked up on wildlife all around her. The boar turned out to be a lot closer than she’d realized. It was just around the corner and it wasn’t moving.

Tentatively reaching for the trees with her mind, Asha connected with them. Her power was a lot stronger in this realm, it seemed. While the plants didn’t have eyes, they had other senses that mimicked vision. She saw a vague picture of the beast lying in wait, presumably waiting for her.

Going forward wasn’t an option and going back wouldn’t help her much either. Her stamina was far greater than a mere human’s, but she was starting to feel tired and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. Wandering aimlessly and without guidance, she had no idea where to go or how to forage for food. She hadn’t known what plants were edible back on Earth let alone what she could eat in this foreign realm.

Hearing a squeal coming from behind the tree that hid the boar from view, her blood ran cold as the beast stepped into view. It had grown weary of waiting for her to approach so it could leap out and ambush her. Beady black eyes zeroed in on her. It was far larger than any boar she’d ever seen. Its back stood as high as her shoulders. She was small, not even five-feet-tall, but she would make this thing a hearty meal.

Backing away slowly, Asha panicked when the animal charged towards her. Hoping the trees and shrubs would slow it down, she left the path and raced through the forest. The foliage seemed to move to give her a clear run, but the pig crashed along behind her, gaining on her rapidly.

Chancing a look over her shoulder, she saw the boar was only a few feet away. Its mouth was open in anticipation of biting into her flesh and it almost seemed to be grinning. Tripping on a rock, Asha sprawled to the ground. She curled into a ball, knowing she was about to be torn apart.

The boar squealed in triumph, then gave a pained grunt when a spear suddenly skewered its side. Whirling around, it charged at the being who had attacked it. Asha twisted her head around to see a silver haired fairy hefting a second crudely made spear. This one went directly through the boar’s chest. With a roar of pain, the beast went down. Its legs thrashed and blood burst from its mouth, then it went limp.

The fairy regarded Asha through gray eyes that were flecked with gold. His hair hung to his shoulders and she saw that it had gold tips. He was inhumanly handsome, as were all fae, but he was even more gorgeous than usual. Tall for his kind, he was slender, yet well-muscled beneath his sodden white shirt and brown trousers.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was drowned out by a crack of thunder. Lightning lit up the sky so brightly that Asha was momentarily blinded. It struck the tree behind her rescuer, then both man and boar were sent flying by the blast of electricity.

Asha’s body tingled from the volts that ran through the waterlogged ground over to her. She was far enough away that the sensation was unpleasant, yet didn’t harm her. The fairy hadn’t fared so well. Smoke rose from his hair and clothes as he lay facedown a few yards away.

Great, she muttered with a sigh. I’ve been here for less than a day and I’ve already killed someone. While she hadn’t actually taken his life herself, he wouldn’t have been standing in that exact spot when the lightning had struck if it hadn’t been for her. Pushing herself to her feet, she wondered if his death would add to the bad karma that already hounded her, then she went to check on her hapless rescuer.

Chapter Two

APPROACHING THE FALLEN hunter, Asha knelt beside him and gently turned him over. She was relieved to see his chest was still rising and falling. He’d sustained serious burns on his body from the lightning strike and his shirt had been shredded. His skin was pale and flawless where it wasn’t charred.

His lean, toned muscles were strangely beautiful, but she didn’t know why. She’d seen men without their shirts on before, yet she’d only ever found one man to be attractive. She pushed her thoughts of Harley Reid out of her mind. He’d been in a relationship with someone else and they could never have been a couple anyway. He was a human and she wasn’t from his world.

Sensing another presence approaching, Asha started when a three-headed dog burst into sight through the trees. Three pairs of orange eyes peered down at her appraisingly, then the hound’s tail began to wag when he decided she was a friend. He was obviously a Cerberus and she was pretty sure she knew who he was. Are you Hexam? she asked. Jake had told his team about his adventures in the goblin dungeon and the allies he’d made.

The hound barked in agreement with his left head while the one in the middle bent to sniff the fallen hunter. The head on the right zeroed in on the slightly burned boar. It was disconcerting to see the trio of heads acting independently. About the size of a small pony, the beast had black fur and seemed friendly enough, but she knew he was an accomplished killer. He’d been trapped in the labyrinth for eons, but was now free.

Delicately grasping hold of the unconscious fairy by his waistband, the Cerberus picked him up with his left head. The right head grabbed hold of the dead boar and lifted it as well. The middle head looked at Asha questioningly. Either he intended to eat both the fairy and the boar, or the hunter was his friend. Hexam seemed to want her to follow him, so Asha motioned for him to take the lead. She kept her senses alert as the dog led her to a path that took them deeper into the forest.

They eventually turned off the trail and came to a cave. Asha could feel a spell at the entrance and hesitated. Hexam trotted through the enchantment without suffering any harm, so she cautiously followed him. It was snug, dry and warm inside. A fire was burning and the hound placed the fairy next to it. He stashed the boar in a corner, then lay down next to the fire. All three heads turned to examine her and his tail thumped on the ground.

Unable to resist the lure of the flames, Asha moved closer and sank down next to the hound. She gingerly reached out to pet the Cerberus and his tail wagged harder. You’re a good boy, she told him and all three heads grinned in agreement. It was strangely comforting that one of the allies Jake had relied on had found her. Now maybe she wouldn’t be forced to make her way to the Unseelie palace alone.

Seeing the man who had rescued her lying with his arm bent at an awkward angle beneath him, she reluctantly pushed herself to her feet again and rounded the fire. She shifted him so his arms and legs were straight, then brushed his hair out of his face. His eyes opened and came to rest on hers and she felt something like an electric shock run through her. Then they closed again and she let out a shuddering breath. His burns had already almost healed, but the lightning strike had wounded him badly. He would be lucky if it hadn’t fried his brain.

Moving back to the other side of the fire, Asha was too exhausted to remain awake to watch the hunter. Her eyes slid shut and she slumped to her side. Hexam curled his body around her protectively and watched over both of his charges as they slept.

An hour or so passed before the unconscious fairy stirred. He woke from a dream where he’d seen a face so angelic that words could barely describe her. Delicately boned, she had a small nose, a sharp chin and tri-colored eyes. They were mostly amber, with green and brown mixed in. Long blonde hair had flowed around her as she’d stared down at him with concern.

Letting out a sigh, Dacrith knew it had to be a dream. No one in the Unseelie realm felt concern for others. Apart from the hound that had become his faithful guardian, that was. Hexam counted him as family now and he was turning out to be rather helpful.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Dacrith sensed a strange presence even before he saw a tiny figure curled in a ball on the other side of the fire. The Cerberus had one of his heads resting on the girl’s side, watching him with orange eyes. So, she wasn’t a dream, the warrior mused in a musical voice. Even dirty and disheveled, the female was just as beautiful as she’d been in his dream.

Seeing his burned, tattered shirt and spying the charred boar, he figured he’d been struck by lightning. He must have woken up briefly when his visitor had checked on him. He’d saved her life, or at least saved her from harm, which meant she owed him. Bargains and debts were taken seriously in the fae realms. Shirking either invariably resulted in magical punishment of some sort.

Hunger gnawed at his stomach, so he went about preparing the boar. He dragged the beast back out into the rain, then used magic to butcher it. He was getting used to using the powers that he’d been denied for the past few millennia, but it wasn’t as easy as he remembered. After butchering the pig, he spitted some meat and began to cook it over the fire. He encased the rest of the food in a magical container which would keep it fresh for as long as needed.

Even though his magical abilities seemed to be erratic, he was far from helpless. Being trapped in the goblin dungeon without access to spell casting had forced him to hone his fighting skills. Only one man had ever bested him and he was gone from this realm now. Dacrith idly wondered what had become of Jake Everett, then pushed the matter aside. They’d been brothers in arms and they’d worked together to achieve their mutual goals of killing their enemies. His father, Prince Sindarian, had banished him to the goblin dungeon because he’d tried to oust him from his throne. His father was dead now and the Unseelie realm was in chaos.

As a prince himself, it was Dacrith’s birthright to step up and claim the throne, but first he needed to regain control of his magic. The advisors to the throne had conspired to rid themselves of the Dark Prince. He doubted they would willingly bow to his son. Ordering their minions to kill him when his gigantic ally had eaten Sindarian had been a clear sign of that.

He smirked at the memory of the dragon soaring through a rift and snapping his father between his jaws. The deaths of two fairies had caused havoc to reign, but the upheaval couldn’t last forever and it would die down eventually. Hopefully by then, he would have the magical strength to take his place on the throne.

Chapter Three

ASHA WOKE TO THE MOUTHWATERING smell of pork roasting over a fire. A heavy weight was holding her down, but it lifted when she moved. Hexam grinned down at her as she struggled to sit upright. Becoming aware that she was being watched, she looked across the fire to see the hunter was now awake. How are you feeling? she asked.

Frowning at the question, he examined her more closely. I am fine, he replied. You are not a human.

It was a statement rather than a question. I know, she replied.

Then why are you speaking a human language? he asked.

I was raised on Earth, she told him and drew her knees up to her chest. I’m Asha Trinity. Who are you?

He hesitated before replying. You may call me Dalrin, he told her and gave her a seated bow. He’d decided to give her a false name for reasons he wasn’t even sure of.

Thank you for saving me from the boar, she said awkwardly and looked away. She was still shy around strangers and never knew how to act. It was far worse now that she was in a strange land.

May I ask what manner of being you are? he enquired.

I’m half dryad, she replied.

And the other half? His silver eyebrow rose when she hesitated. Come now, it can’t be all that bad. Dryads aren’t noted for mating with ogres after all.

It’s worse than that, she said in a low voice that he had to strain to hear over the relentless howl of the wind. My father is the Goblin King.

He blinked at her, but her sorrowful expression didn’t change. You are King Lod’s daughter? he asked incredulously and she nodded morosely. You are fortunate that you don’t take after him and instead inherited your mother’s beauty. She flicked him a look, but didn’t respond to his compliment. If I’m not mistaken, having three different colors in your eyes marks you as dryad royalty, does it not? he asked.

So I’ve been told, she said unhappily.

Hmm, he mused. I doubt either of the fae realms has ever seen your like before. You hail from royalty on both sides. I wonder what your future holds?

Queen Wysterial had a vision that I would become the Unseelie Queen.

Her answer shocked him, but he hid his unease. Did she now? he asked and ran a hand through his hair. Did she happen to mention who would be your King?

No. She just told me that I would have to bring unity to the Unseelie lands before the chaos spreads to the other realms and tears this world apart.

His mind raced as he tried to process this information. While Queen Wysterial wasn’t a Seer, the fae often caught glimpses of the future. Their visions always came true, so this half dryad, half goblin girl would indeed rule the dark realm. From what he knew about dryad royalty, she would become bonded for life with the first man she gave her body to. She looked young, but it was impossible to tell her true age. Have you become bonded to a male yet? he asked abruptly.

Asha’s face burned at the far too personal question. The hunter obviously knew the implications if she said no, but there was no point lying. She shook her head and looked down at her feet. I haven’t met the man I’m supposed to marry yet, she said, sounding so defeated that Hexam whined and leaned a head on her shoulder. She smiled slightly and reached up to scratch him beneath his chin.

The girl was innocent in more than just her body. She was beautiful and pure and she didn’t belong here. This land would twist her and corrupt her just like it did to everyone and everything that dwelled here. Dacrith found the idea of her becoming like the Unseelie fairies he knew strangely repellent, as if it would be wrong somehow. What are your plans now that you’ve found yourself in this realm? he asked.

I have to travel to the Unseelie palace and present myself to the Court, she replied, meeting his eyes. She was resigned to her fate, yet she was clearly unhappy.

No one is forcing you to follow this path, he told her.

I don’t have a choice. No one can change their destiny. She dropped her eyes and her stomach rumbled.

A fresh blush rose on her cheeks when he gave a low chuckle. Where are my manners?