Insomnia: Faction 9 (The Isa Fae Collection) Read online

  “Step inside,” the short one said. “We must begin.”

  “Before we run out of time,” the round one said.

  I backed into the room and tore my gaze away from the insanity in the hall. Colin was quick to join me. Judging by his pinched mouth, he was just as shaken as I was. The Crones filed in, one at a time, until they had formed the same formation as from the front room. They looked to Colin and pointed to the divan. He gulped, walked to it, and lay down. I pressed myself into the left corner near the door and wrapped my arms around my stomach. If something went wrong I wanted to have a clear space to run to Colin. Chills filled me, despite the cloying heat that hung in the air.

  The Crones gathered around Colin in a triangle formation. They began to hum a soft tune that reverberated through my ears. The air shimmered around the divan and Colin’s eyes fluttered. After only a few moments, his breathing slowed to the deep, steady rhythm of sleep. The Crones’ tune shifted to something dark and eerie. They all leaned closer to his prone form.

  My stomach turned over and bile rose in my throat. Most Fae needed to be in short proximity of the witch they affected. Nimue’s mark sent a twinge through my breast and I shuddered. It had created a link between us that could short any distance when I slept. The only thing I had going for me is that I feared her instead of loving her.

  Colin’s whimper jerked me from my thoughts. His sleeping face had contorted into a grimace. One hand hung out from the divan, twitching. The Crones’ eyes had taken on a yellowish glow.

  My fingernails dug into my arms. He had agreed to this. He’d be mad if I rushed in and stopped them.

  But what if they cheat him, like Nimue did to Dylan?

  Not all Fae were trying to build an army of witches, though. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I would give them a little more time.

  The minutes stretched on forever. With each one, Colin’s sleeping cries grew louder and his body jerked. He reached out, as if trying to grab something. I stepped forward, my hand going for the knife sheathed in my boot.

  Colin bolted upright with one short yell. His wide eyes found mine as he panted with sweat beading down his forehead. The Crones shuffled back with satisfied smiles on their withered faces.

  “It is done,” the tall one said.

  The round one waved to the table. “Come and have tea.”

  “And ask your questions,” the short one said.

  Colin rubbed his face, his shoulders trembling. “My mother…”

  I turned to the Crones. “Can you give us a few minutes?”

  They studied us with thin lips and narrowed eyes. As one, they nodded and filed out of the room. I sat down next to Colin, placing my hand on his shoulder. His body stiffened and a deep shudder spread through him.

  “The first time is usually the hardest,” I said. “Probably more so from a nightmare.”

  “I thought you refused to have Fae feed off of you.” He tried to keep his voice steady, but it held a slightly higher pitch.

  “I did a few times when I was younger,” I said. “It’s usually the only thing Fae accept from witches.”

  “So, you would have been SOL if you came here by yourself because of the Nimue stuff.” He chuckled. “What would you do without me?”

  “Hey, I have bargaining chips.” I nudged my elbow into his ribs with a laugh. “Are you feeling better?”

  He exhaled. “I little bit. I think I’m ready to see what they have to say.”

  I twined my fingers together. “About your mom…It’s not going to change anything, you know. You’re still you.”

  “But there’s a whole side of me I didn’t know. That changes a lot of things. I mean, have you ever heard of a half Fae, half witch?”

  “There have been a few. It’s rare, but it happens.” I bit the inside of my lip. If there was any moment to tell him my secret, it would be now.

  “Great. I’m some sort of freak.”

  My words felt like lead on my tongue but I pushed them out. “If you’re a freak, then so am I.”

  His head turned my direction in slow motion. “What?”

  After that first burst, the rest came out in a rush. “Well, not exactly like you. I mean, I’m not a half Fae, but there was a Fae from my father’s line. Pretty powerful from what my mom guessed with my power.”

  “So before was Fae magic.” His brow furrowed. It seemed to do that a lot since he had met me. “But how did you keep it a secret?”

  My hand went to under my shirt, but I didn’t pull out my talisman. “Mom cast a few spells to mask me as a witch, before she died.”

  His hand covered mine. “I’m sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago.” I smiled up at him. “Wow, I think I actually feel lighter by telling you. Now you’re not alone in your freakdom.”

  “Thanks.” His other hand came up to cup my cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep my lips sealed.”

  Heat rushed through me at the lack of distance between us. “Well, they don’t have to be completely sealed.”

  Those lips he mentioned closed over mine and the world seemed to fade away. This time, he tasted of honey and apples. My mouth opened to breathe him in and our tongues entwined. I pressed closer to him, gripping the bottom of his shirt. He broke the kiss and pulled away from me, panting.

  “As much as I want to continue that, we have Crones waiting on us,” he said.

  I sat back and wiped my mouth. “Right.”

  He stood up, walked to the door, and peeked out into the hallway. He murmured that we were ready. The Crones trundled inside and headed to the table, where they began to pour the tea. I followed behind Colin with my thoughts whirling in my head like a hurricane.

  Silly girl. What the hell was I thinking, kissing an enormous playboy? Flirting and sex was all he knew, so he would seek comfort through it. Even his magic required it, when it worked. Was that such a bad thing, though? Maybe Colin was the comfort I need after Dylan. But the Crones had mentioned my desire to save Dylan. Would this be betraying him?

  I raised my head and met their waiting, knowing gazes.

  “You have questions,” the short one said.

  “So many,” the tall one said.

  “What will you ask first?” the round one asked.

  I opened my mouth, but Colin beat me to it. “About my mother.”

  “Yes. Dafina.” The round one let out a sigh. “We should begin with her.”

  “After all, she begins things,” the tall one said.

  “The reason for Nimue’s obsession,” the short one said.

  I sat up straighter. “How?”

  “She was jealous of my mother, so she killed her,” Colin said. “At least, that’s what my dad said.”

  The tall one nodded. “But that is not the beginning of the tale.”

  “Once Rhydian and Nimue were lovers. A great force to be reckoned with in the City of Dreams,” the round one said.

  “But alas, Dafina, a witch of all, swayed the heart of the great Incubus Rhydian. She taught him to see witches as more than food,” the short one said.

  “And Nimues indignation grew as she lost Rhydian,” the tall one said. “When you were just a babe, she struck down Dafina. In Rhydian’s rage and grief, he attacked Nimue. The two fought for three days and three nights.”

  “Until the Prince of Dreams decreed that Rhydian be banished,” the short one said.

  “At Nimues goading,” the round one said.

  “But Nimue wasn’t satisfied.” The tall one’s gaze turned to me. “She planned and plotted. All must love her or perish.”

  “So, she created the Dreamless,” I said. “But how would that get everyone to love her? And how can we stop her?”

  “Your answers lie at the Well of Dreams,” they said in unison. “As is the means to free your old love.”

  I waited for them to say more, but nothing came. I glanced at Colin and he shrugged.

  “Seriously?” I crossed my arms. “Your answer is that my answer is s
omewhere else? We paid for that?”

  Their faces twisted as if their bones where shifting.

  “Ungrateful child,” the tall one ground out.

  “We have given you much,” the short one said.

  “You have only to listen,” the round one said.

  I slapped my hands on the table. “No, you gave us a story, half of which Colin knew, and the name of some place that actually has our answers. Where the hell is this Well, anyway?”

  The round one smiled, revealing pointed teeth. “In the center of the Wyrdlands.”

  “But be warned.” The tall one glanced between us. “Your journey is fraught with many obstacles. Betrayal lies in those your hearts lie with.”

  The short one held up her bony finger. “But, a few devilish deals must be made.”

  I opened my mouth to ask another question, but my throat closed up on me. The air thickened as the Crones each raised a candle. Where they came from, I had no clue. With a small huff, they blew out the candles. Darkness filled the room. I blinked and found Colin and myself standing outside the tea shop. A closed sign hung on the front door.

  My hands balled into fists. I’d had so many more questions to ask. About Nimue and her spell. Hell, I’d found someone who could have told me about my father and his lineage. Why had my mother been so worried that my Fae blood be hidden? After all, several people had to know of Colin’s, even if he hadn’t. Now, it was too late. The Crones had decided they’d answered enough.

  I kicked a loose rock on the sidewalk. It slammed off the edge of the tea shop and ricocheted across the street. A passing car honked at us and a Fae shouted out the window.

  “What the hell,” I muttered. “That was a total gyp.”

  “Not completely,” Colin said. “We found out about the Well of Dreams.”

  “And how are we supposed to get there?” I asked. “The Wyrdlands shift so much, I didn’t even know there was a center.”

  “But there are fixed points, like Dad’s Palace. This Well has to be one.” Colin started walking along the street.

  I hurried to catch up with him. “We don’t know where it is. They could have at least given us directions.”

  “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. Your dragon seems pretty savvy about finding his way.”

  I sighed and my shoulders slumped. All that time we’d spent with the Crones, and Morphy hadn’t come back. I wasn’t sure where he was, but he had to be all right. I hadn’t felt his pain.

  “We should find him,” I said.

  Colin stopped walking and grabbed my arm. I turned in the direction of his stare. A pale Fae female in a dress with a tight bodice and a skirt that reached the ground stood at the end of the sidewalk. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in an intricate weave of curls. Her white eyes almost blended in with the paleness of her face. In her hands, she held a golden cage with my familiar inside.

  Morphy stared out at us mournfully. “I’m sorry. I thought I had escaped them, when she caught me.”

  “I believe you are looking for this?” She whispered the words, but they reached my ears with clarity. “What trouble you have caused in my city.”

  I lurched forward, but Colin’s hand on my arm tightened. The shadows around us shifted and formed into more women. Their matted hair hung in front of their faces, allowing only an occasional glimpse of dark eyes and sharp teeth. The stench of the bog emanated from them, and I gagged a little. These had to be nighthags. The witches in the Respite used to tell stories about them, claiming they sometimes left Bedlam to hunt down wayward children. Which meant the woman in front of us was their leader.

  “You’re the Mara, right?” I asked.

  Her skirt spread out as she gave a small curtsey. “And you would be our witch intruders. The Prince of Darkness requests your presence. I’m sure you’ll come along without any further disturbance?”

  She shook the cage to emphasize her words. Morphy gripped the bars with his claws as he was jostled about. His eyes whirled and shifted through different shades of purple.

  The nighthags crowded in close to us. No way out. It looked like we had to pay a visit to the Prince of Darkness.

  14

  The Mara brought us to the largest of the high-rises in the City. It stood in the center, like a giant pillar holding everything up. If it fell the whole ceiling would come tumbling down. And all this was run by the man we were going to meet.

  Colin and I stood cramped in a tiny room called an elevator with the Mara. It began to ascend. I started and gripped onto the edge of Colin’s coat. I’d heard of these things, but had never been in one. Both Bedlam and Arcadia boasted having them for their tallest buildings, like this one.

  My gaze fell on Morphy, still in the cage the Mara held. He stared back at me with his tail twitching. Small puffs of smoke rose from his nostrils with each breath he exhaled. He seemed more annoyed than frightened, though.

  “We came with you,” I said to the Mara. “You can let him out now.”

  The Mara gave me a thin smile as a bell rang out and the elevator stopped moving. “We shall see what the Prince has to say first.”

  The double doors slid open and the Mara stepped out. I wouldn’t say she stepped, so much as flowed, as if she didn’t have feet under that long skirt.

  She gestured down a black carpeted hallway. “We shouldn’t keep the Prince waiting.”

  Several doors lined the bone-white walls that were devoid of any pictures. At the end stood mahogany double doors. I drew a deep breath, trying to figure out the mix of scents. Lily and something spicy. I couldn’t quite place it. As we approached, the double doors swung open with a whisper on the carpet revealing a black tiled room with a massive desk. I followed Colin inside and the Mara closed the doors behind us. A shiver ran through me. The temperature in the room had dropped from what was in the hall.

  A tall man in a long black coat stood with his back to us in front of ceiling-to-floor windows. His white hair brushed his shoulders as he turned in our direction. In the dimness of the room, his face was shadowed.

  His head tilted in the Mara’s direction. “This is them?”

  She gave another curtsey, the skirt spreading out on the floor. “My Prince, may I present Colin, son of Rhydian, and the witch Aneira?”

  Morphy gave a small cough.

  One corner of the Mara’s lips lifted up. “And the dragon Morpheus, Aneira’s familiar.”

  Morphy dipped his head down. “Forgive me for not giving a better presentation, but as you can see, I am a little confined.”

  The Prince’s face shifted behind the shadows, like he was raising a brow as he looked at the cage. “Charmed.”

  Colin stepped forward and bowed, bending to his waist. “Please forgive the disturbance we have caused in your city, my Prince. This is my fault. There were things I didn’t know.”

  The Prince walked to him. “I can see you inherited your father’s charisma. But I knew that when we met before.”

  “Before?” Colin asked.

  “Yes, you were a small child then. Your Father brought you here, seeking refuge after he had been banished. With my assistance, he was able to create his Palace.”

  “I don’t remember,” Colin said.

  “You were very young,” the Prince said. “When the Mara informed me of a half witch trying to enter through the Ivory Gate, I thought it might be you. Did your father send you here?”

  Colin glanced at the floor. “Not exactly.”

  The Prince raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “The Pleasure Palace was attacked and my father was taken,” Colin said.

  The Prince’s body stiffened and his head tilted. “Who would be foolish enough to waste magic on an attack?”

  “Nimue, my Prince.” I bent my knees in a halfhearted curtsey.

  His gaze landed on me, pressing down on my shoulders like an anvil. He walked around me in slow measured steps. I spun around to catch up with him. He leaned forward, inhaling, and lifted a lock of my ha
ir for closer inspection. The shadows clung to his face, even this close. I stepped away from him and he let my hair slide from his fingers.

  “You are Aneira, correct?” The Prince asked.

  I nodded, my mouth dry. “Yes, Prince.”

  “Intriguing.” He glanced at Morphy before returning his attention to me. “Nimue, you say?”

  “She’s created an army of witches, by using some sort of magic so they don’t sleep and are enthralled to her,” I said.

  “We came to Bedlam to learn how we could stop her from the Crones,” Colin said.

  The Prince glared at both of us. “A Fae has created an army and you come into my city but didn’t see fit to inform me?”

  The weight of his voice pressed on my shoulders, forcing me to my knees. His presence seemed to spread through the room. My breath came in little gasps. Colin joined me in that submissive position. My nails scraped against the hard tile as my teeth scraped against each other. We’d made him angry and now he would crush us.

  “Forgive us, my Prince,” Colin said. “We didn’t think it should be your problem.”

  “If Nimue has become this powerful, this is very concerning,” the Prince said. “I must speak with my brother in Arcadia. For now, you will stay as my guests.”

  “As much as we are grateful,” I said, “we have been given a destination by the Crones. We are supposed to travel to the Well of Dreams.”

  The heaviness grew. “You were told to go to the Well?”

  “Yes, My Prince,” Colin’s voice had grown shaky.

  “Interesting.” The Prince rested his hand on his chin. “However, I would be remiss to let you go, if Nimue has posed this danger. For now, you shall stay in my tower as my guests.”

  “Thank you for your kindness, my Prince.” Colin glanced at me and gulped.

  I worked hard to keep the scowl from my face. With a thought, the Prince could probably crush us, so speaking out at this point wasn’t a good idea. I wasn’t staying for long. I’d have to figure another way to get out from his grasp.

  The Prince walked to his desk and pressed a button on his phone. “Vaughan, I require your presence.”