“Half of you scout ahead,” she instructed her soldiers, who numbered about two dozen in total, including her palanquin attendants.
“Do all of the Keepers reside in these caves?” I asked Galen.
“Yes, m’lord. It’s mandatory for fellowship and worship to live in a communal space.”
“Don’t they have jobs and families?”
“The Keepers work in the mines and trade with colonies in the borderlands. Master Keeper demands you abandon yournon-Keeper relations and donate your wealth to the order. And if you stray from the light, you are punished.”
A true cult then, and a leader who sought to isolate his followers and enrich himself through their labor, complete with rules and punishments. A leader who demanded grave sacrifices from his disciples in order to achieve purity and perfection. This was sounding more and more familiar to me.
“The gas levels in these mines are unsafe. It’s why they were shut down in the first place,” I informed Galen. Perhaps that factor was helping to sustain their delusions?
“Master Keeper says the air here is more pure than the air we share with the mixed breeds.”
At my side, the queen scoffed and said with a sneer. “Young man, you’re fae, do you believe that drivel?”
Galen shrugged. “If I don’t at least pretend to believe it, I’ll be punished.”
I suspected one of those punishments had been the butchering of his wings. I was gaining a clearer picture of what this young man’s life had entailed, along with that of the other Keepers. They were victims too, of a depraved and deluded man’s quest for power. I’d have to remember that when all of this was over.
If I survived.
“All clear, Your Majesty,” one of the fae soldiers reported.
The queen looked to me for guidance.
“Onward then,” I said somberly.
Upon entering the mines, I was immediately struck by a sense of wrongness. It hung in the air like a poisonous gas, and I suspected wards had been magicked to keep strangers away. Dimly lit by the fires of our eternal flame, the mine looked all but abandoned still, which meant the actual production must occur elsewhere. As we ventured farther into the cavernous tunnel, I sensed many sets of eyes upon us. The Keepers were hiddenfrom view but watching our progress all the while. Was this Master Keeper’s intention?
“Will they ambush us?” I asked Galen, for the lad seemed to know a lot about their customs.
“No, m’lord. Master Keeper has prophesied this.”
“Prophesized what exactly?” I asked, even more alarmed.
“Your reunion.”
“I thought he wanted me dead,” I said drolly.
Galen shook his head and avoided my gaze. “That arrow was supposed to be for the prince, m’lord. To weaken you. Only I couldn’t do it. He was my hero from the daily scrolls, you see? Causing an uproar with the commoner, gallivanting around with his guard, and dodging the queen’s men. No offense, Your Majesty.”
I smirked at the lad’s larger-than-life interpretation of Cedrych. The queen huffed but I noticed the slight curve of her mouth that spoke to a secret admiration of her second-born son’s willful nature.
“So you thought to kill me instead?” I asked Galen regarding his last-minute change of plans.
“A quick death is merciful,” he responded, which made me wonder what else he knew of the Keepers’ plans for me.
“But wouldn’t that go against the prophecy?” I asked.
“I did not expect a long life,” he said morosely. That made me pause. Even knowing his disobedience might cost him his life, Galen had made the decision to spare the prince, who was innocent. How sad the boy’s life must have been thus far. And the fact that it had happened in my own realm, under my watch, made me responsible.
“What else has Master Keeper prophesied?” I asked.
“A duel to show once and for all that Master Keeper is the strongest elemental sorcerer in all the isles, pure of bloodand spirit, and befitting to rule the elvish realm with tradition, excellence, and piety.”
It sounded like the delusions of a madman, though I could have predicted the same outcome: one final showdown for all to see, a way for him to demonstrate his superior skill and strength. An ego-driven narcissist whose sorcery was a spectacle to garner power and glory, rather than a quiet, well-honed discipline.
