Fae War Ch. 07

As she left the bathroom, she remembered the visitor, and hoped he had left, but when she emerged from the bedroom, a stranger sat at the table with Luka. Both men stood at her arrival, and Luka pulled out a chair and indicated she should join them.

"This is Miko, a member of the council," Luka said, indicating the tall, slim, man of about fifty.

Erin held out her hand and mumbled a greeting. Miko struck her as less than trustworthy somehow, like a lawyer or rich businessman, a little too shrewd.

"It's wonderful to get to meet you, your Highness," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Erin went on high alert. Luka looked relaxed enough, but she had a bad feeling about this guy. She sat and accepted the coffee Luka poured for her.

"I am here to try to convince Luka that the best place for you is with the council. I missed his visit yesterday, but I was told of it by other council members. I want you to know we can offer you the highest level of security," Miko said, looking around the cabin with open disdain.

Erin wondered if he and the other council members knew that Luka was to be her mate. If they didn't, would their assessment of her safety change, and if they did, why did they think she would be better off with them?

"I'm quite happy with my security here," she said with no particular inflection.

"But, your Majesty, we have resources to put you out of harm's way. The rebels have never breached our facility."

"There's never been a councilman among their ranks before. It's likely that Franco will be able to get them inside, perhaps without detection," Luka interrupted.

"Franco is a concern, but we have instituted many new safeguards since his defection. I believe council quarters to be the safest place on Earth, not to mention, a more appropriate place for our Queen," Miko explained, smiling another of those slippery smiles.

Erin sipped her coffee and buttered some toast, knowing the councilman awaited her response. She knew she was safer with Luka, but she didn't want to give away the reason if he had not told them for some reason. Finally she looked at Miko.

"I will remain here," she stated with as much finality as she could.

Miko's face registered anger for just a moment before he carefully composed a look of submission. Standing, he held out a hand to shake Luka's, then held it out to her. Erin hesitated to put her hand in his, but realized it was her duty as queen. She placed her finger tips into Miko's palm. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her from her chair, wrapping his left arm around her waist and backing away from Luka.

"Wrong answer, Highness," he said, menacingly, pulling her slowly towards the door.

Luka twitched his index finger and Erin felt electricity buzz all around her. Miko jumped back, letting go of her waist and crying out sharply.

"What the hell?" Miko tried to grab her again, but the energy field kept him away.

Luka smiled just slightly before straightened his face.

"I believe you have underestimated our queen, Miko. She is better able to defend herself than you thought," he said.

Miko looked wildly from Luka to Erin. He reached out, eyes closed, and felt the power emanating from her. Erin knew she hadn't created this field, but hoped Miko didn't know that.

Opening his eyes, Miko grinned terrifyingly. If Erin had thought Luka looked predatory when protecting her, she needed to revise that assessment after seeing Miko's face.

"I see how things are," Miko said, and Erin's blood ran cold. He started to circle around her as she rehearsed some of her better defensive spells in her head.

With lightning speed, Miko twisted and leaped at Luka, crashing together to the floor. Erin tried to move forward, to get to Luka, but she was held stationary by the energy field around her.

Luka kicked Miko hard in the ribs, gaining enough time to get to his feet before Miko threw a spell at him that drove him into the wall beside the fireplace.

"You know you aren't strong enough to stop me, little flea. You're only strong enough to protect her because she's your chosen mate, but I'm guessing she hasn't accepted that yet, that the...formalities shall we say, haven't been fulfilled," Erin was clueless what he was talking about, but had a feeling it was a very bad thing.

Luka remained pinned to the wall, face reddening, eyes wild. He tried to speak, and Erin knew he wanted to tell her something, but the spell holding him choked off his words.

She tried to lift a knife from the counter behind Miko, but she could feel her spell reflected back at her from the energy field. She was powerless inside the protective field.

"Turn it off, flea! I will take her with me, even if it is over your dead body," Miko demanded as he raised his index finger to reveal a glowing, sparking point of electricity at the tip.

"Never!" gasped Luka, face turning red as the pressure holding him to the wall prevented him from taking a breath.

Miko walked up to Luka. Then he turned to Erin.

"Do you want to see your mate flayed alive, Queen?" he asked with pure evil.

"No!" Erin yelled. "Don't hurt him!"

"Then refuse him," Miko demanded quickly.

Luka struggled, shaking his head, eyes rolling.

Erin hesitated, not quite sure what either man wanted her to do. Miko leaned toward Luka and drew the electric point down his cheek. It cut into Luka like a laser and blood flowed freely from the three inch gash.

"I refuse!" Erin screamed, understanding with certain clarity that Miko intended to kill Luka slowly and painfully right in front of her if she didn't break the arranged mating. 'I refuse the mating contract!"

Luka's face was a study in anguish. He couldn't speak, but his eyes showed betrayal, fear, and pain like Erin had never seen before. She tore her eyes from him.

She felt the force around her fade quickly, and easily stepped through it toward Miko and Luka.

"Good girl," Miko oozed. "Your flea will live to see another day, albeit without you." He strode forward, grabbing her and slapping a wide bangle on her wrist. It looked like a normal gold bracelet about two inches wide, with symbols engraved all around, but she immediately felt the effects of it. She felt strangled, unable to speak, and while Miko dropped her arm, she was compelled to move with him toward the door of the cabin.

"No, Erin!" Luka screamed as he fell from the wall. He tried to throw an energy blast at Miko, but the older man flicked his finger and sent the blast back to hit Luka, slamming him back into the fireplace where he crumpled, unconscious, to the floor.

Erin tried to scream, but just choked and gagged on the words. She tried to go to Luka, but her feet continued to carry her toward the cabin door.

Throwing open the door with a wave of his hand, Miko strode out, Erin stumbling along a half step behind, unable to control her own body. Miko stopped just past the porch. Turning his back to her, he reached back and grabbed both her wrists, pulling them around him and up, so her hands were on his shoulders.

Laughing as she tried not to touch him, he said, "You will want to hold on."

Not yet releasing her wrists, he began to lift into the air, Erin's body forced to follow. Gagging on her scream, she latched her hands to his shoulders and he released her wrists.

Erin hated being in contact with his body, which felt cold and somehow slimy, even through his clothes. She couldn't speak, and even her sobs choked her.

Miko ignored her completely as they flew so fast Erin couldn't make out any of the scenery below them. She worried about Luka more than herself, because she knew what was likely in store for her. Miko would bring her to the rebels who would kill her, ending the royal line for good.

But Luka would live on. She had seen his pain when she denied him. He was devastated. She felt awful that the last thing she ever said to him was that she didn't want him. Maybe that would make it easier for him to get over her, once she was dead. She could only hope so, for his sake.

They flew for perhaps twenty minutes. Erin felt the change in temperature as they went, and noticed the decline in altitude before the decrease in speed.

Miko spoke for the first time since they took off.

"Hold on tight. Don't want to skin up that pretty face."

Erin wanted nothing more than to let go and fall to her death, but her body reacted in self-preservation and tightened her grip.

They landed with a head-jarring thud, but Miko immediately began to walk. The bangle compelled her to walk as well. They were in a different forest, one that was already experiencing winter conditions. The trees were bare, dead leaves crunched under foot, a light dusting of snow was visible in sheltered coves.

A shack came into view, and seemed to be Miko's goal. He threw the door open with a wave of his hand and waited beside it for Erin to pass through. The interior was dark, causing Erin to go blind for a moment.

"Good work," a silken voice purred from the darkness. "Did they give you any trouble?"

"The flea was her chosen mate," Miko responded with irritation, "But she saw the wisdom of breaking the contract."

Even without looking at him, Erin could hear the pleasure in Miko's voice. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the dimness, and she could just make out that the interior of the shack was entirely different than the exterior. The room was at least sixty by sixty, and the voice had emanated from a woman sitting on what could only be called a throne at the end of an aisle, the remainder of the building ominously empty.

Erin studied the woman as she was forced to follow Miko down the aisle. She appeared to be about thirty-five, tall, shapely, and wearing a gown that would be appropriate to a $1,000 a plate fund-raiser. She leaned languidly over one arm of the throne on which she sat, one long fingernail tapping the gilt armrest. The slit of her dress revealed a long, muscular leg, clear to the hip. Her long black hair draped half way down the side of the chair.

"Where would you like her?" Miko asked, coming to a halt below the dais on which the throne sat.

"I have a very special cage, created just for her," the woman purred. She snapped her fingers and an ugly cage of black iron descended from the rafters. It would have been the right size for an Irish Setter, or a Golden Retriever.

Erin struggled to speak, to pull away from the hold the bangle kept her under, but it was pointless. She was powerless.

The woman stood, descending the stairs in a fluid motion, and leaned in to look closely at Erin. She continued around Erin, studying her. When she was again in front, she produced two black iron bands that she slapped on Erin's wrists, pulling the gold bangle free.

Erin felt her tongue loosed and immediately demanded, "Who are you?"

"Ha!" the woman laughed, mirthlessly, "You sound just like your father. You think because you happened to be born into a certain family that gives you rights and powers that others don't possess," she hissed in Erin's face. "I am Riahn, Queen of the supernaturals!"

Erin tried to conjure an energy blast, but nothing happened. She tried to draw a weapon to her from among those displayed on the wall behind the throne, but no power seemed to be at her disposal.

"Stupid child! They haven't taught you anything! Your magic is useless around black iron," Riahn scoffed. "My powers, on the other hand, can't be removed from me."

With that the woman's back arched, and in a sudden flash of blinding light, she changed into a panther, sleek and menacing. The panther paced the floor in front of Erin, seeming to grin at her distress.

Erin took a step backwards, only to run up against Miko's body. She halted, and watched the panther pace. Miko began to stroke her arms, familiarly. He leaned down and licked her neck and she shuddered in revulsion. The panther continued to pace and watch.

"You like my attention," he said smugly, "Don't pretend. You feel my power and it pulls you." He licked her neck again and started to nibble her earlobe.

Disgusted, but wary of the panther, Erin struck backwards with her elbow, into Miko's gut.

He "hmpph'd," bending slightly, then twisted Erin suddenly and struck her with such force she fell to the floor. As she started to rise to her knees, a black paw shot out at her, swiping four razor-sharp talons across her abdomen as it hissed at her.

Erin fell back to the floor, one hand trying to staunch the blood flowing from her middle.

In another flash of light, Riahn was back in human form, now naked before them.

"I'm no longer amused. Throw her in the cage, and then come improve my mood," she purred to Miko.

Erin felt hands pick her up and slam her into the cage, but she was focused on trying to heal her wounds. Once in the cage, Riahn snapped her fingers again and the cage ascended back to the rafters.

Erin pulled off her sweatshirt and looked more closely at the slashes across her stomach. While they were quite painful, now that the bleeding was subsiding she realized they were superficial. She would live.

Unable to stand, or even to sit upright, Erin curled in a fetal position, tentatively looking around the room. Riahn and Miko were in a corner, engrossed in behavior Erin had no desire to watch. The throne sat empty, glowing by some internal force. Erin didn't remember it glowing when Riahn was sitting in it, but then, she wasn't focused on much beyond the woman at the time.

There were swords and maces, battle axes and shields arrayed on the wall beyond the throne, tantalizingly close, but completely out of her reach.

The rest of the room was arranged with pews on either side of the aisle, facing the throne. This must be the meeting place of the rebels.

Erin closed her eyes, trying to concentrate her healing powers toward her wounds. She believed what Riahn said about the iron, but since she wasn't focusing beyond her body maybe it would work. With great effort, Erin felt the edges of her wounds draw together, sealing muscle, fascia, and finally skin.

She was exhausted by her effort, not to mention blood loss, and fell into a fitful sleep.

Please vote and comment!