Oh gods. He was right.
Just when she thought she had gotten herself under control, it started all over again. She felt dizzy as she reached for the chair and sat down roughly. This couldn't be.
To be marked was a death sentence...
But Roe had never considered what it would mean to be the last person touched by the marked. Second in line was doomed to the same fate. She would be next. He would get himself killed, and those things would be after her. She was nauseous with fear, so much so that she suddenly sprang up, and ran to the bathing room to be sick. When she was done, she came back out to the living space to see him propping her door back into its place.
"I'll come fix this tomorrow," he said, without turning towards her.
"That won't be necessary," She ground out, annoyed by the imposition. He had ruined her life with a simple touch, and now he was trying to make up for it by fixing the door. It was insulting, to say the least.
"It is necessary," he spat back, still trying to angle her door into its spot without having it fall over.
"All thanks to you." Growing over the fear that made its home in the pit of her belly came anger, as she shot daggers with her eyes into his back. She wanted nothing more than for this to be a nightmare that she'd wake from in the morning only half-remembering.
"You should have thought about that before stealing from me, you petulant brat. I could kill you and be perfectly within my right to do so." He turned around to face her, evidently satisfied with his work.
"I'm not the one who knocked someone's door down over a piece of stone. I can tell using your words isn't your forte."
She took a step forward, poking a finger into his chest before snarling, "You have ruined any chance I had at a life." She pushed him with one hand, which barely moved him, and continued with, "You broke into my house, you led Daemon to my front door, you have essentially marked me, and now you're insulting me in my own home. Get out."
Roe's eyes shifted to the door that he had nearly shattered, and she wondered if she should be a bit more careful with her words. As silence washed over them, a numbness had spread through her as she looked at the splintered wood balancing precariously in the frame. She needed a whole new door, but she wasn't going to tell him that. Exhaustion rolled over her in waves, her muscles tingly and her head light. The final dregs of adrenaline had left her system, and with it, it took some of the edge from her temper.
After a moment, he removed his hood, and she suppressed a gasp. The first thing she noticed was his ears, which came to a delicate point, garnished with rings around the cartilage. He was Fae.
Tanned, with stubble speckled across his jaw, he had a ruggedness to him. His eyes were dark, and she couldn't tell if they were black or brown in the candlelight. He had angled features; a square jaw and high cheekbones, with a little bump in an otherwise perfectly straight nose. Even that looked like a calculated decision by the gods, to add a shred of imperfection to an otherwise flawless face. Little scars were littered across his cheeks, hands, and neck like flecks of snow on a bed of clay. He had an arrogant air about him, from the way he looked down on her to the way he was acting like he owned the place. She noted that he had hair that ended at his shoulders, thick dark locks falling out of the braid they had hastily been tied in.
Realizing that she was staring, she backed up from him and folded her arms against her chest. He was staring at her with an eyebrow raised, as if to say make me leave. I'd like to see you try.
They stood like this for a moment, before he said, "You need to do something for me."
He said it casually, as if he were asking for a favor from a friend. As if he expected her to not only comply, but to be grateful that he was granting her with the opportunity to serve him.
"Like hell I do. What I need is for you to get out of my apartment." She motioned to the door, exasperated.
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair before replying with, "Our fates are connected now. There's no argument. If you help me, it increases your chance of survival."
It wouldn't change anything. There was no way to defeat them, and he was kidding himself if he thought otherwise. She had heard stories of what they did to those who were marked– they would tear them limb from limb, bathing their home in blood, lapping it up like dogs. They had been known to drag out the kill, savoring each and every moment with the poor soul who had the misfortune of being their prey. They were cruel, wicked beings that had evil seeping from every pore, that delighted in suffering and boasted a gluttonous appetite that was only sated by one thing.
Still, she raised an eyebrow, spitting out, "And what could someone like you ever need from a mortal girl like me?"
"When I was marked ten years ago, I left home."
She tried to hide her surprise, and she hoped her face hadn't betrayed her. If he had been marked for that long... Maybe her chances of survival weren't as slim as she thought.
"I have worked very hard to ensure that everyone I knew thought I was dead, or worse. It is better for them to mourn me than suffer because of my presence. I can't step foot in the Fae region without concealment for fear of exposing my lie."
He looked up at her from the floor, and his eyes bore deep into hers. She met his gaze with a defiant look on her face, trying to mask the tiredness that made her eyelids heavy.
"Get to the point, or get out." She grumbled, ready to lie down and forget the impending doom that stood before her. Yes, she was in danger, but she was so spent that she would have to worry about it in the morning.
"The point is, that I need you to retrieve something for me. It will help me to restore the amulet to its full power, which may allow me to avoid the Daemon longer." He still hadn't explained what the amulet was, or what it did, but she knew that it had saved them at the last moment. He watched her, waiting for her to ask, not giving up a thing.
"And what is that?" She said with annoyance twinging her voice.
"I'll tell you when you agree to help me. If you do, I can survive for long enough to find out how to defeat them."
At that, she laughed. "Defeat them? No one in two millennia has even killed one. And you think you can beat six, or was it seven of them?"
He didn't speak for a moment, but there was a cold determination behind his eyes that told her he didn't think it was a joke, not even for a second. He was quiet as he looked at her, a muscle flexing in his jaw.
After a pause, he said, "I do." Then, he fell quiet again, seeming to mull something over in his thoughts.
She broke the silence with the question that was nagging at her. "Why me? How do you know you can trust me?"
"It's mutually beneficial for us to work together." He said it simply, like it was the most obvious truth in the world. He pushed off the windowsill and moved to the exit.
"Think it over. I'll be back tomorrow for the door."
Roe slept fitfully that night, waking up several times thinking that she had heard something outside of her apartment. The broken door did not prevent the wind from whistling through her apartment, waking her as soon as she'd fallen asleep. Nightmares plagued the sleep she did get, causing her to toss and turn and cry out into the night. The night seemed to drag on for an eternity– she'd stare at the wall blankly, for what felt like hours, until her eyes couldn't stay open anymore, only to be broken out of her sleep by cats fighting in the alleyway, footsteps from the people living above her, or chatter from a few buildings down. When she finally dredged herself out of bed the next morning, she felt more exhausted than the night before. She felt like she was dragging her muscles through mud as she dressed.
Last night's events were enough to last her a lifetime. She couldn't quite place the male she had met, but she felt as though she had seen him before somewhere. There was something familiar about the stubborn set of his jaw, although she didn't know where she would have seen a Fae. It's not like they came to the human districts often.
As much as she hated to admit it, she was connected to him in a way. She considered his offer, even though functionally, she would be getting almost nothing out of it other than extending the inevitable. Something deep inside her mind still had hope that there was a way out of the situation she found herself in. Maybe after surviving for ten years, he had learned something about them. He was right, it was in both of their best interests to trust the other, at least for now. The next full moon in an even month would be two months from now, as the one in August had just passed them. She could try to help him until then, and be sure to make herself scarce on the full moon. Although, she supposed he would have passed it along by now if he had wanted to get rid of it. That stone that he had seemed to be awfully useful, but she was sure there were limitations to its power, especially since it was broken. Where did he even get something like that? It completely hid his scent from them, which was a miracle. She guessed that was how he had survived so long, in addition to his other skills.
As for the Daemon... She never needed to see them again. Thinking about how close she had come to death had her on edge, contributing to her already foul mood about how poorly she had slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw their eyeless faces, the teeth with edges that looked like they'd snag painfully on her skin, and their long, unnatural fingers. They were so close to her that she could see the flaps of skin in front of their noses thrumming as they breathed, scenting the air for just one hint of marked breath. She thanked the Goddess she hadn't thrown away the stone like she had been considering.
She was right about to head out when a knock came at her door.
She moved the door out of the frame to find the male from last night standing there, another door leaning up against the wall to her apartment. She rolled her eyes, and moved the door back in front of the opening.
"Go away." She called out to him, hoping that he would obey. She was frankly hoping he wouldn't come back, but the thought made her nervous. She'd have no way of telling if he was still alive if he didn't, so she supposed a small part of her was grateful.
"I'm not going to beg you to fix it if that's what you're hoping for," he replied, sounding bored.
She stood there for a long while without responding, hoping he'd take the hint and go. After a few moments passed, she peeked out of the shutters. He was still there. She stalked back over to the door and moved it out of the way again, glaring at him. His face was blank, and disinterested. He still wore the same black tunic and pants from the night before, but had swapped his cerulean cloak for a black one. She noted that his eyes were a deep brown in the sun, after all.
She huffed once and said, "Fine. Do what you want. I'm going out either way."
Then, she stalked past him and turned down the street.
When she returned, the new door was hanging on its hinges, the old one nowhere to be seen. She stepped inside, and stopped short when she realized he was sitting in the single chair by her dining table. He had it tipped against the wall, balancing precariously on its back feet, and she was honestly surprised it held his weight on two legs. He was asleep, mouth slightly open as he snored softly. He was young, no more than mid twenties, although he could be older given his Fae heritage. Fae were known to live exceptionally long lives, outliving humans to the point where no one knew the exact duration of their lifespans, except maybe the Fae themselves. His face looked different as he slept; Gone was the nonchalant arrogance that she had despised from the moment they met, replaced instead with a peaceful expression, as if nothing could reach him. His long, slender legs were crossed at the ankles atop her table, which was frankly unacceptable. His shoes were filthy, and that was where she ate.
Roe stepped over to where he was resting and pushed his feet off of the table, causing the legs of his chair to slam to the ground.
He jumped up, shooting her a glare as she said sweetly, "Good morning sunshine."
"Was that really necessary?"
"Was it necessary to put your feet on my table? That's where I eat, thank you very much."
He crossed his arms as she pulled the chair out from behind him, setting down the items she had bought onto the table as she sat down. There was no bread at the market today, so she settled for what they did have available. She had picked up a few eggs, and some bacon, as well as four apples and a large piece of cheese. It was just enough for her to have breakfast and lunch for the next couple of days, and she did not plan to share it with him. She pulled a knife from her pocket and sliced off a piece of the cheese, popping it into her mouth while cutting up an apple. She gave him a look as if to say Why are you still here?
"Have you thought over my offer?" he asked, answering her silent question.
"I'm still deciding." She replied, crunching down on a slice of apple without looking him in the eyes. She wasn't sure that she could trust that it wasn't a trap.
"I don't even know your name, yet you expect me to do you a favor. I don't exactly see how that is fair, or an intelligent move on my part." She looked over to him, and his brow furrowed.
He was quiet for a moment, before responding with, "My name is Kian."
Kian... That sounded so familiar to her. Her eyes scanned over his face, trying to place where she had seen him before.
A memory came back to her at that moment of one of the High King's addresses to the city of Miraxis. It had been a warm summer day, more than ten years ago, when the High King had held an audience at the wall separating the Fae and the humans. She remembered the height of the stone wall, towering overhead like a mountain against the sky. The stones it was made of were of several different types and textures, colors, and sizes. Knights lined either side of the High King and his party, standing to attention, so still they could have been statues. Their silver armor gleamed in the sun, spears pointing towards the sky like arrows to a target. Dressed in a royal blue doublet and matching pants sat the High King, atop a pitch black steed. He looked and played the part of royalty to a tee, power and affluent grace pouring off of him in waves. His ebony brown hair was cropped short, and even from a distance, Roe could see the points of his crown reflecting light, jewels shining in the oppressive summer sun. He appeared to be young, no more than upper thirties, although he was as old as the kingdom itself. What a gift, to have that much time.
His voice spilled across the crowd in waves, captivating the thousands who had come to celebrate the arrival of the Royal family to the wall. Human and Fae alike were eager to get a rare glimpse of the High King and his elusive son. It was the two thousand, one hundredth anniversary of his legendary binding, and as tradition, he would give a speech on the prosperity of the kingdom to the people on either side of the wall. Even at her young age, she had known that the prosperity that he spoke of was mostly in regards to the Fae. How could it be applicable to humans, when so many of them, like her, were starving?
Next to him, seated atop a fine piebald mare, was Kian. He was younger then, skin smooth and cheeks still round with childhood. He wore black then too, which was something she wondered if he preferred. His deep brown locks were tied back, and he fidgeted with his saddle as his father spoke. Her eyes had strained to see him from her place in the crowd, but she remembered that he had seemed annoyed, restless, and as if he'd rather be anywhere other than there.
Kian was the missing Prince of Miraxis. Her eyes widened with realization; Yes, it had been ten years since he went missing, and he was older and more rugged than his teenage self, but it was him. And, he was marked.
Her mouth fell open as the recognition flashed across her face. He grimaced, and ran a hand through his hair, which had fallen out of its braid sometime during the night.
"Now you understand why I can't go back into the Faerie city."
She nodded slowly, biting down on another piece of apple.
The Prince of Miraxis was in her apartment. She almost shook her head in disbelief, not quite processing that a Fae male, who also happened to be one of the most powerful people in the kingdom, was in her home. She had heard rumors of Kian's talents as she was growing up; Remarkable magic with expert control was bound to start people talking. He apparently had a preference for fire magic, although he had other gifts as well. Stories spread through the kingdom of a prince who could quickly overshadow the High King, and many wondered when the High King would take action. Her eyes flicked up to him, realizing she had been lost in thought for a moment, eating small bites of apple as she mulled over his presence in her home. He was watching her like a predator, waiting for her to speak so he could pounce.
"I'll help you. For a price," She said slowly. She could swear she saw a flicker of surprise cross his face, but he didn't react otherwise.
"For a price? And what might that be?"
"I want enough to buy a house." A price indeed. "And I want you to train me to move like you do."
He snorted at that.
"You can't train Fae instincts into a human."
"You better figure it out if you want my help."
The muscles in his jaw flicked, and she could see him grinding his teeth as he considered her request. Finally, he spat out a "Fine."
"That's it? No counter-offer? You must be desperate."
He rolled his eyes and stalked towards the door. He left without another word, and she called after him, "I still don't know what I'm supposed to be retrieving!"
After he left, the day mulled by slowly. By mid-day, Roe grew bored of the book she was thumbing through, unable to lose herself in the sweeping green landscapes and grassy prairies that the author was describing, not quite reading the words on the pages.
Usually, reading was an escape, a way to pass the time, a way to distract herself. She loved to read about different lives and places she had never been, to escape between the pages, to live in another world for a while. The characters in her books made her feel a little less lonely. But today she couldn't focus enough to absorb the story she had been reading, her mind continuously drifting to other, more ominous things. She would get halfway done with a page just to realize she hadn't read a single word.
She closed the book as a wave of anxiety crashed down over her. She had been restless and high strung since she had woken up that morning, teeth and eyeless faces haunting her thoughts. Roe knew that she was no match for one, let alone seven of those things, and she hoped that Kian was onto something. She would stick around just long enough to see.
Then, if she had to, she would leave Miraxis. Civilians typically did not leave the city, as it was known that the beasts had made their home in the forest surrounding the kingdom. It was dangerous, not just because of what was on the outside, but because of how those in charge were determined to keep everyone inside. Guards were posted around the perimeter, and it was forbidden for anyone to leave without a pardon from the crown, or participation in a trade route. If she failed, it was likely that she would be sent to the mines for the rest of her days, until Kian died and she became the marked.
But if she succeeded... Kian had said that their sense of smell only went so far... What would happen if she left the city entirely? She supposed there was no avoiding the curse, but she was desperate, and the least she could do is put some distance between herself and them. She had no one left here anyways.
The door to her apartment opened, and in strode Kian, bag in hand.
Scowling, she sat up in her bed and growled out, "So now you're just letting yourself in? Your manners are really shit you know."
He scoffed, and set the bag down on the tabletop before beginning to dig through it.
She bit her tongue, resisting the urge to chastise him again for entering without permission. She ought to be a bit more careful with how she spoke to him, given that he was royalty. But it was seriously annoying how he was acting like he owned the place after knowing her for twelve hours. It certainly didn't give him the right to invade her privacy.
She was still stewing when he pulled a sky blue dress from the bag. He laid it out over the back of the chair, its skirts cascading down from his hands to dust the floor below. It was made of a fine, soft looking fabric, shimmering in the light like stars in the summer sky. There was a corset separate from the underdress, which was a dark blue, with silver thread embroidered into a pattern of swirls that gracefully danced across the bodice. It was a beautiful dress, reminding her of the ones that her mother used to work on in their apartment. A pang of grief shot through her heart at the thought, but she ignored it, willing it to disappear as quickly as it had come.
"What is that for?" She asked finally.
He finished smoothing the skirts and raised his eyes to hers.
"It's for you." Something she couldn't describe was behind his eyes; was it conflict? She wasn't sure, but either way, she still didn't trust his intentions. Why was he bringing her a dress? And such a fine one at that?
"I didn't take you for the gift giving type."
He leaned back against the countertop, crossing his arms before continuing with, "I'm not. It's for the task I need you to complete. I need you to go to the Library of Fae in the center city."
The Library of Fae was older than the High King, and was off limits to humans. No one she had ever known had been there, and it was heavily guarded to ensure that reality. Shock crossed her features at this, but she did not speak as he continued to explain.
"There is a book, called Caillte, towards the back of the library if my memory serves me right. Inside, there is a spell that will allow me to locate the other half of the amulet. The librarians do not retire and have presided over things there for as long as my father has ruled. They have all known me since I was small. If I were to enter, my identity would be known."
"What does that have to do with the dress? I can't go either way; I'm a human, which you've conveniently forgotten."
He smirked at that, and then she felt a slight tingling over the tips of her ears.
"Take a look now."
Getting up from her spot on the bed, Roe turned towards the cracked mirror that sat on top of her dresser and gasped. Her ears came to a sharp point. She appeared to be Fae. Her mouth formed a small O as she delicately touched the tips of her new ears. Her eyes met his in the mirror, shock coating her features and stunning her into silence.
"I can create illusions," he said simply, and she felt the tingling again. When she looked back towards her ears, they were rounded once more.
"The dress is so I blend in." She said, putting the pieces together.
"Precisely."
He looked satisfied with himself as she took in his plan, the gears in her brain turning.
"And what if I get caught?"
"Not my problem. I'll be outside of the library so I can continue to illusion you, but I wouldn't be able to intervene should you be discovered. So I'd suggest being careful."
Roe turned back around to face him, frowning. She had never been beyond the wall, let alone in a library full of Fae secrets and sacred texts. It shouldn't be too difficult to pretend just for a little while, but if anyone asked her a question she'd probably be done for. She also wasn't sure that this wasn't some kind of set up– for what, she didn't know, but she still felt slightly apprehensive at having to rely on Kian at all. This could all go very badly for her if she were discovered and it was too convenient that there was little to no risk for him at all.
"I want the amulet." She said suddenly, following up quickly with, "Only while I'm in disguise."
It was Kian's turn to frown, brows pinching together, a look of annoyance flickering across his face.
"Absolutely not." His tone seemed to imply a permanence to this statement, as if he weren't willing to discuss it further.
"Then I'm not doing it." She shrugged.
He ground his teeth and spat out, "You already agreed."
"And I can change my mind."
He sneered, "Typical human, unable to even keep her end of a simple bargain. It's embarrassing how little honor you hold, how little your words mean to you. But then again," he said, with a wave of his hand around her room, "This is how you live."
For Faeries, your word was your bond, and Roe knew that Faerie's often did not believe humans were capable of having honor or integrity. Not only that, but many thought of humans as animals; Uncivilized, dirty, incapable of participating in polite society.
"If you don't like it, you're more than welcome to escort yourself out," she growled, shame writhing in the pit of her belly. She knew that as a Fae prince, he was used to finery and luxury at every corner, servants and guards flitting through endless rooms and anything he could ever want at his fingertips. Her apartment wasn't anything to write home about, but she didn't think it was that bad. She had more than most did and felt like she was doing particularly well given her circumstances.
He must have seen the hurt cross her face, but it didn't change the sneer that was smeared across his mouth. Her shame was overcome by anger; Anger directed at him, anger at her situation, anger at the world she was slave to. Oh, how she hated his perfectly tailored clothing, his jewelry, even his boots which probably cost more than a month's rent alone. He was everything she was not; Rich, affluent, powerful, beautiful. And he couldn't help but remind her of that fact with every graceful movement of his body, the lilt of the delicate accent of the wealthy apparent in every deep timber of his voice, or the way he always seemed to be looking down his nose at her like she was the dirt underneath his boots. She was beginning to regret agreeing to help him.
Roe took a breath and with her exhale left some of the anger that was threatening to boil over. Raging at him like she wanted to wouldn't get her anywhere.
"I won't be able to escape the Faerie city without your illusion. I'll give it back as soon as I'm out of the library," She said carefully, trying to keep her voice even.
He was quiet for a moment, sneer fading. His eyes were steely and cold, no trace of the warmth she had seen in the sun earlier that day. His jaw worked as he thought it over, finally relenting with a short, "Fine."
"Then it's a deal." Roe replied simply, feeling satisfied that she had gotten her way.
"We will go in three days, when the library opens to the public. I'll be back then." Then, he strode out of the door, leaving her to her thoughts.