“Darren must now pay tribute to Shade. A blood debt has been made, demanding payment. Only blood from death will be appropriate for such a crime.” Gasps rippled through the mass and whispers ignited like flames through the shocked crowd. There were even heads shaking while others began to holler out protests.

“My decision stands. As your Queen, my judgment is paramount. Silence!” The crowd hushed as quickly as it had erupted.

“My queen,” a voice interjected. The Teleen queen turned to look upon Captain Dylan, now kneeling before her, head bowed and stiff.

“May I speak, your majesty?”

“Rise and speak Captain Dylan. Your queen has acknowledged you. Darren being your only brother, I am sure you have much to say.” She held her hand out as if to summon him to rise. Dylan rose slowly and stared back at the petite woman. His face was a well of stillness, eyes empty and blank with no feelings escaping from their pits.

“I beg thee, to please reconsider. I ask you, my dear queen, to spare the life of my only brother, Darren. I carry an oath to our long deceased mother to care for him in her long absence. Please, consider an alternative price.” Dylan bowed his head again and did not look back up. He seemed to be acknowledging the queen’s dominance over him, and over all the people that called the caverns their home.

Shade blinked as she glanced between him and the queen. Brother? So that is why there was a resemblance. Darren was Dylan’s brother! Of course! She thought putting it all together.

Dylan seemed genuinely concerned but his face remained hard. He did not seem like the snickering captain of the guard she had met her first day at the Teleen caverns. He stood humble and still before the queen. She wondered if he was holding his breath while he waited for the queen’s answer. She wondered why he would defend such a rotten man, even if he were his own flesh and blood, his only brother.

“Dylan, my faithful Captain, you have served me faithfully and well for so many years. I’m afraid only a fair blood trade would suffice, though. Knowing your mother’s wishes for you and your brother, I will consider this in my decision.” She tilted her head and watched him, studying his stoic demeanor as if reading his inner most desires. “What if I amend my judgment, let’s say, for an equal payment? Would you trade your life in your brother’s place then? I will only amend the death price if you trade your blood and services for your brother’s life.”

Captain Dylan looked up at that remark. His eyes widened in surprise and seemed utterly tortured. He studied the queen in confusion.

“I’m sorry your majesty, but what sort of blood price trade do you mean?”

The queen smiled, glancing at Shade before speaking again.

“I require that you say yes before I explain. Will you trade your life for your brother’s? I promise this will not mean a death sentence on your part, if you do so. Your brother will be freed then also, but only if you agree to the full terms.”

Dylan stared intensely at the queen for what seemed like forever. He let his eyes drop to the floor and sighed. Shade watched him gulp and think hard at her words. He nodded and blinked up at the queen, straightening and regaining composure once more. “Yes, my queen. In place of my brother, I will assume punishment for crimes he has incurred, short of death.” He let his gazed drop again. His face had flushed with heat, while his eyebrows furrowed. He was probably not too happy about having to learn his fate after he swore to trade places with Darren.

Shade glanced between him and the queen, in eager anticipation.

“Well then, Dylan, I am glad to hear that such an honorable man will assume a lesser man’s punishment. He is undeserving of such a thing, even if he is your brother. So, in consideration of your own innocence, I hereby proclaim that your blood payment will be a blood bind, to Shade. You are to protect, follow and serve her until the blood price is filled and paid. This can only be determined by the magic of Faerie itself and release from it will only come from the lands of Faerie, or it will remain indefinitely. Any failure to do these things will revoke the trade, and the original judgment on Darren will stand.”

Shade shook her head, understanding fully what the queen had just done.

“No, please, your majesty, no, I don’t need a servant or a guard, I have an entourage already, my friends who will guard me. He didn’t do anything! I can’t do this, please release him! It was Darren who did it.” She looked up at the queen and knew immediately that protesting wasn’t going to do her anything good.

“Shade, he cannot reject this punishment; to do so is to bestow death upon his brother. You must accept this or you condemn his brother to death. Only time will tell when he will be released from the blood bond; now come here and give me your hand. I must bind you to make this trade complete. It is the way of the Teleen. Dylan will serve you faithfully, protect you and keep you safe. He cannot betray you or cause you any harm for he will break his oath, and death will consume his brother immediately. Don’t be afraid, come.” She held her hands out towards her.

Shade held her breath, and she slipped her hand into the queen’s even though she was trembling so hard that it shook her whole body. She stood up and inched closer.

“Dylan, come here and give me your hand too.”

The captain took the steps and stood before the queen, across from Shade, and held out his hand. The queen held out a small knife. It was sharp and the hilt gleamed with blood red rubies, and the blade radiated with magic. Shade felt it rush over her like a warm energy, as it ventured from the queen’s hand. It was an oath maker, made to be used in blood binding.

The Queen took Shade’s hand, palm up, and pressed on the knife softly. She dragged the blade across her palm, and soon deep red blood seeped from the wound, and trickled down her wrist. She repeated the process again on her other palm, amazingly they did not hurt at all. For all Shade knew, the knife’s magic took the pain away with it. The queen turned and did the same to Dylan. She then took both their hands and clasped them together.

Shade looked up at Dylan as their warm, thick blood mingled. She could feel his fiery aura spilling onto hers, but it did not burn. There was a feeling of power that licked the edges of hers that was hidden deep within. Dylan’s grasped tighten around her smaller hands and felt his strength and power but did not feel threatened. She looked into his eyes that had now, somehow, gone dull and blank with maybe a touch of contempt glowing in them. If he felt anything, he did not show it. His face had hardened, like a statue. None of his feelings bled through and his magic slipped away back into himself and away from her, as he clasped his full control over it again. His aura had turned solid and hard like a shield. He had accepted his fate coldly.

“It is done then. You may let go. Captain Dylan of the Teleen, you forfeit your position and assume your place in Shade’s entourage, that is, until the land of Faerie decides when you have fulfilled your oath.”

Their hands dropped down to their sides and Dylan turned and walked back down, passing his brother at first but stopped about a foot away. He turned his head and studied his younger brother, who looked a lot like himself. Dylan’s cold stare narrowed and burned with a tinge of hate.

“Darren, this is the last time I ever save you. You are on your own now, for we are no longer brothers.” He turned again and disappeared into the thick murmuring crowd. Many gasps sounded out at his declaration. The ultimatum was unexpected, stunning Darren. He stood still, keeping his head down. His eyes were squeezed shut, as some tears were probably forming in his lids. He whirled around suddenly and pushed his way across the crowd, shoving anyone in his way; both were gone in a matter of seconds. Shade stood now by the queen, as she sat down in her throne and smiled at Shade.

Shade glanced down at her bloody palm. The cut had knitted itself closed and now was a healing leaving a light pink colored scar that was thin and tight. She looked down at her awaiting group and saw Soap holding out a hand for her. She took it, relieved to see his smiling face as he helped her down from the dais. She joined her entourage, as they shuffled out of the grand room.

Chapter Eight

The group huddled near the glass bridge. Backpacks were strewn around, like a summer camp she went to back in the thick forests of California. People were skittering about stuffing packs with rations and supplies. Shade sat on the ground with her own backpack already stuffed, since she never really had a chance to unpack before the attack. It balanced between her criss-crossed legs and she was ready to go. She held onto it like a child would a precious stuffed animal or blanket for comfort. It felt like the only thing in the world that really did belong to her. They had risen early the day after the trial to reassemble and continue on the rest of the journey. Shade felt almost fully healed but her spirits were still dampened and her head ached with everything that had happened to her. She felt comfort in her solitary spot, watching others frantically rushing around. She didn’t have much to pack anyway. Sary had retrieved her clothes, cell phone and charger from her old room, which Shade had refused to return to. Her phone was fully charged but no signal could penetrate the deep stone cavern.

Her mousey brown hair was pulled back into two thick braids, making her look even younger than her seventeen years. She had let Braelynn fuss over her this morning when she had arrived with her hairbrush in hand, even though she had tried to pull it into a sloppy ponytail. The tight braids Braelynn made for her felt a little chained and like she was headed for school pictures; but she could deal with it since it had made Braelynn feel so useful and motherly.

Soap came and stood before her, his tall figure seemed gigantic to her while she sat scrunched on the ground. His hair was also tied back but in an intricate half braid, leather and beads streaming through it and shimmering under the torchlight. He was looking at her with his bright eyes, so deep in color in the dim light that they seemed to glow with their own light. “Hi ya there kid, you feelin’ alright?” His voice twanged with a made up southern drawl. He winked at her and tipped an imaginary hat to her.

She smiled up at him, not feeling quite as gloomy as before and nodded. He was definitely in a joking mood. “I’m okay. Maybe just a bit tired, not sleeping so well since…” She laid her chin on her pack as she pulled it against herself tighter, closing her eyes.

Soap sat beside her on the ground and sighed as he watched the rest of the group tidying up. He turned toward her with his smile gone and his eyes immensely serious. “Are you having nightmares now?”

She nodded and breathed in a bit. She closed her eyes and leaned her whole head on her pack and arms. Sleep had been seriously interrupted by her anxiety and paranoia during the night. Every creak, every rustle made her eyes fling open and her heart jump from her chest. She had resorted to sitting up in bed with a dagger in hand, just in case. She wondered if she would ever feel safe going to bed again.

“Well, let Braelynn and Sary know. I’m sure one of them can whip you up a dreamless sleep potion. It might help for the first few weeks. We’re leaving in five minutes; did you eat anything this morning?”

“Yes, I ate some toast and fruit. I wasn’t too hungry though.” She opened her eyes and sat up, as she saw Dylan enter the area; his captain’s uniform was gone, replaced with different leather and metal armor. It was probably his traveling armor. His helmet was also gone but his sword was still strapped to his back. His brown tunic was soft under the leather and lacked any kind of ornament at all. Wrist sheaths were strapped securely on his arms and flashed slightly as he moved, revealing silver knives. He also had a sheath strapped to each calf and his belt had pouches and sheaths laced throughout. He was well armed but also carried a small pack strapped to his back. His hair had been cut short, human male short. Shade wondered why he was sporting the cut, especially when he was the only faery man she had met so far that didn’t have long hair.

“I guess this means he is joining us now,” Shade said with her voice lowered. “Soap, why is his hair cut short now? It was so long; did he have to cut it for the journey?”

Soap shook his head and leaned in towards her, his voice just above a whisper.

“No, Shade, fey do it as a sign of mourning. He is probably in mourning for his brother, treating it like a death. It may be because it is a sort of enslavement that he has to be with us. He might just mourn his freedom and former life. Your guess is as good as mine.” He leaned back to his spot and sighed. He jumped up from his sitting position, like he had just floated up, and held out a hand to Shade again, smiling. “May I have this dance, oh ye fair maiden?”

“You know what, you’re such a dork.” She took his hand but gave him a playful whack when he started to dance, swinging her around in a circle. “Stop it already!” Shade smiled again, feeling him radiate warmth too. Somehow she just knew that it was for her benefit that the fey did this. What they gave off in their magic was like happy juice to a moody teenager. It made her feel safe at least, and that’s what she wanted most of all right now.

Dylan was watching them from across the way. His cold blank stare made Shade shiver as her happy mood faded with his icy look. She couldn’t blame him for being mad but it really wasn’t her fault. He was going have to just deal with it.

He started walking towards her and Soap. She held her breath, hoping he wasn’t going to be a pain. Dylan stopped right in front of her, causing her to take a step back as he invaded her space. He seemed to know that it made her nervous to stand near any of the Teleen, even if they were shielded.

“Dylan of the Teleen clan reporting for duty, Miss Shade. What will you have of me today?” He stood still, so close to her, she could feel his warm breath across her cheek. His steel eyes were smoldering at her. She was not sure if it was just his eyes or a twinge of hatred swimming in them.