I Am Ruined (TDA Lord of Shadows Sequel)

[ XXXII ] Unseelie Infiltration

"No, no-" Mark said, trying to stifle his laughter, "You are right. We need to work together if we want to have any hope to defeat the King. I've just never heard you lose your temper before, Tina-"

Her mouth dropped open, "I did not lose my temper!" The corners of her mouth tipped upwards as she started to smile. "Fine. But together, you three are insufferable."

"For once," Jaime added with a smirk, "We can all agree on that."

***

After the argument in the plain, they began their trek toward the Unseelie battalion. Everything looked the same and yet entirely different since the last time Mark was here in the Unseelie Court, when they came to rescue Kieran. The landscape was still rocky with dense areas of forests, only dim light even with the sun at its highest point. But everything was powdered in a light layer of ash. Time in Faerie lands was altered, so it was hard to tell how many days or hours passed when the sun was rising and falling in the sky in a matter of what seemed like a few hours. Cristina's necklace charm did not work here in the Unseelie Realm due to the blight, and so they all had to hope that they could move in enough time. The journey was mostly quiet, the occasional question about landmarks, time estimate, and stops for water interrupting the flow of silence. Mark felt out of place here in this land; it was still faerie, the Land Under the Hill. But where the Seelie Court was bright colors and flora, the Unseelie Court lived in shadows and blight. He was distracted while looking around, and falling to the back of the group. When he did snap his attention back to his companions, he noticed Jaime was walking close beside him, his eyes following Cristina as she stepped in pace with Kieran at the front.

"Do they make you nervous?" Jaime whispered, barely loud enough to hear over the constant brush of wind rustling the trees. It took Mark a moment to realize that Jaime was in fact talking to him.

He turned his head towards the dark haired Shadowhunter next to him, "How do you mean?"

Jaime huffed a short cackle, "Cristina. I do believe you two are together? From what I have gathered in my short amount of time here. Do they make you nervous? How close they seem to be lately?" Mark looked back towards Cristina and Kieran now, taking in their posture. Kieran was always a closed off person to anyone that wasn't him, but now he was walking close beside her, their shoulders even brushing occasionally. And Cristina, who was more reserved and always beautiful, was laughing every once in a while at something Kieran must have said. Kieran's hair was light blue, that much he could tell even in the shadows of the surrounding trees – the starlight sparking off of it intermittently through gaps in the treetops. He did not feel jealousy though, he felt – relief.

"No." He stated matter-of-factly, and Jaime raised his eyebrow. "It makes me happy. I am delighted to see two people I hold so dear to my heart get along so well." Whether or not Jaime believed him, he turned his gaze back towards their path without saying another word. Some area they had reached held a different aura than the rest of the realm that they had seen; there was a hint of warmth.

"Is that? Fire?" Cristina murmured, squinting into the lapse of trees, focusing on a tiny orange glow that was growing larger. It is as hard to tell without the use of her farsightedness rune.

Kieran's eyes widened immediately, "That is a torch, we are not alone in these woods. Quickly, we must stay hidden." Without another word, they were all in action. Kieran darted sideways, pushing the Shadowhunters under a shelf of rock, blocked by overhanging stones and dying vines. Jaime, Mark, and Cristina ducked down hidden before Kieran joined the group, adjusting the foliage so that they were completely covered save for one small slit. "Stay silent."

It was so quiet, no sound other than their shallow breaths until they heard hooves and voices. Kieran pushed his eye up to the slit in the vines, looking at who else was traversing these woods. And it was exactly who they had hoped and feared. The small orange glow had grown into a group of torches, Unseelie gentry on steeds and scouts marching around another large mounted figure. The Unseelie King himself, his beautiful face in his line of sight. The King turned his head to speak to one of the gentry riding beside him, a flash of the taut, gray skin of half of his face now visible.

When the King spoke, his voice was rough like gravel. "Are the troops prepared? I believe we will make contact in 2 days' time. They shall be prepared."

"We will be ready, Lord. They will fall at your hands and the land will be yours." One of the men responded. The other mounted riders were cloaked and hooded, the only way to know they were gentry was from the gauntlets they wore – a broken crown depicted on them. The four of them remained silent, long after the group had continued past them. Once Kieran deemed it had been enough time and that they were far out of earshot, they emerged from their stone hiding spot.

"That was the King, they're on their way to the Seelie Court, aren't they?" Cristina asked, welcoming the ability to breath normally again.

"That is was, it appears they detected Jace, Emma, and Julian. So now we know we have less than two days to stop the Unseelie Knights from leaving." Kieran answered.

"Less than two days? He said it would take two days before contact was made-" Mark questioned before Kieran interjected.

"Two days journey from here, he'll want his troops to arrive after him, but not too much longer. Believe me, he will have a very well thought out plan."

Jaime looked worried for the first time since they had begun this mission, "And how many days are we from the cave?"

Only it wasn't Kieran that answered, no it was another voice. A voice vaguely familiar to Mark and Cristina, but a voice that Kieran would never forget. "About a day, right?" A tall, dark skinned figure came out from behind the large rock shelf, his hood pushed back to reveal his face and the skull of a raven dipped in gold around his throat.

"Adaon?" Kieran gasped.

"It seems, brother, that you have gotten yourself involved in a bit of a situation, haven't you?"