CHAPTER 18
Dorian
THE MORNING BEFORE MY wedding I had gone to my office like always to get some work done before the day began. When I arrived there was a note on my desk from Lynne asking me to meet her at our usual spot.
I almost didn’t go. It was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and Fae were anything if not superstitious. I wished I had listened to that warning in my head but being the lovesick fool I was I hurried out of my office and headed to the orchard.
At just after dawn, the orchard was quiet, no workers or anyone else in sight. I thought nothing of it and made the usual trek up the hill to my tree. When I arrived I was happy to find Lynne already waiting for me.
She was dressed in a pale blue dress that clung to her curves. She took my breath away. I couldn’t get enough of her. Soon she’d be my bride and then we wouldn’t have to worry about sneaking around to be together.
“Hello, my prince.” She smiled at me from beneath her lashes. She had a shyness to her that was unusual for our relationship. I’d had her every way I could have her, how could she still be shy around me?
Shaking off her strange behavior, I took her in my arms. “Hello, my peach,” I purred sliding my hands down her back and cupping her backside.
She made a small squeaking noise but didn’t pull away. I gave her a confused look. “What’s wrong? You act like I’ve never touched you before.”
“Nothing, nothing. Just wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome is all.” She gave me a shaky smile that made me frown harder.
“Well, we are getting married tomorrow, I would hope that all of my welcomes are like this.” I stroked my thumb across her face searching for the difference that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
“I’m sure they will be.” Lynne ducked her head down, a blush coloring her cheeks.
“You are not having doubts now, are you?” I pulled back slightly, concern on my face. I thought we were doing great. Wonderful even. “If there is something I have done please tell me and I will remedy it right now.”
“No, no.” She shook her head and then chewed her bottom lip like I had seen her do a million times. The nervous habit was so familiar that it calmed some of my fears.
“Then what is it?”
She gave me a soft smile. “I just wanted to see you is all. I missed you.”
Rain began to fall between the leaves of the tree sprinkling us with water. I frowned up at the sky. It shouldn’t be raining today.
Pushing away the thought, I turned my attention back to Lynne and cupped her face with my hand. “I have missed you as well.” Intent on stilling whatever it was that was bothering her, I swooped down and claimed her lips with my own.
Right away I knew something was off. The lips I kissed were Lynne’s. They felt like Lynne’s and even the body was Lynne’s, but the taste. It was all off.
A gasp from behind me had me ripping my mouth away from Lynne’s. The sight before me made my heart stop and my blood run cold.
The unmistakable form of Lynne ran from me and down the hill. I turned from the other Lynne to the one standing before me determined to find out what was going on. But I didn’t need to ask because it wasn’t Lynne before me at all. Alice Liddell stood in Lynne’s place, a nervous grin on her face.
“What have you done?” I hissed grabbing her shoulders.
“Just a bit of fun is all.” She shrugged and tried to laugh it off.
How she had been able to transform into Lynne well enough to fool even me was a mystery. One that I didn’t have time to solve, but I would as soon as I found my, no doubt, heartbroken princess.
“I will deal with you later,” I snarled before running down the hill and after where Lynne had gone.
The rain was coming down harder now. As if the UnSeelie Court knew what was happening. Reaper forgive me for not listening to my gut when I got the message this morning.
I raced through the orchard and called out Lynne’s name when her form appeared in the distance. My voice only seemed to make her flee because the next thing I knew she was gone. Not from running the other way but she disappeared altogether.
When I finally got to where she had disappeared I searched everywhere. But there was no sign of where she could have gone. Until the rain suddenly stopped.
The ground shook beneath my feet, and I had to lean against the stone wall of the orchard to keep my balance. A sick feeling filled me and I knew where she had gone.
Not bothering to let the bush let me through, I called upon my magic until it was a physical blue ball of light crackling in my hands. Blasting the ball at the bushes, I darted through them the moment there was an opening.
As I went through the hole that I had created, the bushes automatically began to grow back behind me. I shoved through the hole trying to get through before they caught up to me. The place I was going was a forbidden place. A place meant for only the direst of times. For it to let my princess through now of all times was something else entirely.
Were the gods playing with us? Could this be part of their plan? If so, I wanted no part in it. I just wanted my princess back.
I finally forced my way out of the hole and into the sanctuary of what we called the Tree of Life. The heart of the Underground, it was kept hidden from all that may try to take its fruit.
As I came into the clearing, I saw two different fruits on the ground before the tree. Both with a single bite in it. One was near the entrance and the other was next to the roots of the tree where one of them had come up like an arch to shield a form beneath it.
“Lynne!” I raced toward her body but before I could get to her, the ground took her into itself and the root of the tree settled on top of her.
“Give her back!” I screamed at the tree. I pulled my magic into my hands and blasted the tree but it didn’t even move an inch. Since the tree wasn’t going to budge for me, I focused my powers on the ground beneath the root trying with all my might to get the ground to give her back.
I poured magic into the earth until there was nothing left. The blockade in my energy kept me from going any further and using my own life force. I screamed in agony as the last of my magic faded away.
Yelling and cursing at the tree, I attacked it with my fists. I didn’t care that it was sacred. I didn’t care that I could kill everyone in the Underground. All that mattered was getting Lynne back.
“Your highness?”
The small bell-like voice called out to me ceasing my attack. Turning my back on the tree, my eyes landed on Alice. I stalked toward her, not even bothered that my hands were bleeding. It was time to get to the bottom of this.