Chapter 38: His Flesh Would Crawl

The Unseelie realm was indeed Tim Burton’s wet dream. Everything was so dim that without my Shifter ability to see in the dark I would have been virtually blind in the atmosphere.

What I could see was a mixture of buildings in architectural styles from High Gothic to Tudor era England, with a dash of Antebellum South.

Even the trees felt like they were trying to hurt us; dripping with Spanish moss or else skeletal black against the gray night sky. We were outside yet it felt as if everything was crowding in around us, and the air felt heavy, like high humidity without the moisture.

You couldn’t tell it was winter based on the temperature which was neither warm nor cold. It was also eerily quiet in comparison to the realm we had just left. All I could hear was a rustling of dead leaves and the lonesome call of some owls.

I felt unwelcome.

“It’s like Gotham City, only rustic,” I hissed at Ellery as I looked around. Lucas overheard and stifled a laugh.

The Winter Knight who met us at the portal was not what I was expecting. He had the face tattoo I had heard about, in this case a grouping of thorns that snaked from his left temple to the top of his left cheekbone.

He was built remarkably like Lucas, and had dark brown hair that came to the middle of his back, which he wore in a single braid.

He was wearing black boots, black pants and a half shoulder cape trimmed with embroidered silver thorns. The cape buckled across his bare chest. He smiled at Ellery, gave me a curious once over and then glared at Darcie and Lucas.

“Your services are no longer required, Incorruptibles.” He waved his hand at them dismissively.

I bristled at this high handedness and made a point of thanking them both again for their help. Ellery also took exception to the Knight’s behavior because she hugged them both as she said her goodbyes.

“What’s his deal?” I whispered to Ellery as he led us towards the carriage that would transport us the rest of the way to the palace. It wasn’t that far from the portal, but we were expected to make a grand entrance.

“Whose?” she asked.

“Sir Grumpypants.” I nodded in his direction. “Why was he so rude to Lucas and Darcie?”

“Because the Incorruptibles do not belong in the Unseelie Realm, future Duke of Thorns. They belong in their own realm.” He shot a glance over his shoulder at me. “My hearing is excellent.”

“Oh yeah? Well, your manners suck.”

He scowled, but then he quickly schooled his features into one of cool reserve. “I doubt very much that either Lucas or Darcie cared what I said to them,” he said as he turned back around. “They know what the prevailing attitude towards their kind is. The name is Sir Aconite by the way, not Sir Grumpypants.”

“Did I ask?” Something about this guy rubbed me the wrong way.

Sir Aconite shrugged as he paused in front of our transportation. “Just trying to make conversation. You’re stuck with me until you return to your home realm.”

I was about to snap at him again when Ellery intervened. “Relax. Wolfy doesn’t mean anything by his pompous treatment of Lucas and Darcie. He’s just jealous that Lucas gets to accompany me in the human realm while he has to stay here now that he’s been promoted to a Knighthood.”

Sir Aconite’s entire demeanor changed. “Your Highness,” he whined, “don’t call me that.” I swear he pulled a pout. He shot a look around and stood up straight again. He cut his eyes to me. “I am not jealous of Lucas.”

“Yes, you are.” Ellery didn’t even bother to hide the amusement in her voice.

“I am not jealous; I just wish circumstances were different. My Knighthood is a great honor, but had I known how little you would visit I might have turned it down. Not that I blame you.”

He opened the door of the gleaming black barouche and continued to talk as I helped Ellery climb in. “I understand why you don’t, but I do miss getting to spend time with you.” He paused and added “and the others,” as an afterthought.

“I know you do.” Ellery held out her hand to assist my climb into the carriage. I made a strangled noise as the pants clung in all the worst ways.

“Gah, these fucking pants,” I grumbled as I sat down next to her. Ellery covered her mouth with her hand and looked away as I tried, in vain, to adjust everything. Sir Aconite coughed and made a point of looking away in dramatic fashion as well. I scowled at him.

“Laugh it up pal, that’s right. Hasn’t anyone told you that tight pants aren’t good for a man’s fertility? We’ve got to do something about this court dress babe, or the family line is going to end with you. Fuck.” I pulled helplessly at the pants, trying to get some relief.

“It matters not to me. Winter Knights aren’t allowed families or Others for that matter.” Sir Aconite settled himself in the driver’s seat and picked up the reins. “Even if we were, it wouldn’t have much bearing on my life; I’m not attracted to women.”

I moved my hand in front of my crotch and left it there for the brief journey to the palace, which didn’t look exactly like the lair of a cartoon villain, but it came close. I wasn’t sure what to expect having never read or heard any descriptions of the place, but even in my wildest nightmares I wouldn’t have dreamt this up.

One summer we went to visit my mother’s cousins who still lived in Russia and took a trip to the Hermitage museum in what was once the Tsar’s Winter Palace. The Unseelie palace looked like a negative copy of it, albeit not quite as massive.

What was white marble there was black marble here. Instead of gold gilding there was silver, and instead of the beautiful green stucco finish it was blood red.

“Are you sure this isn’t the home of the devil?” I whispered to Ellery as Sir Aconite drove the carriage through the black gates decorated with bats into the courtyard.

“He lives in the east wing,” she deadpanned.

I looked at her in dismay and she placed a hand on my knee. “I’m joking. Kind of. The biblical devil doesn’t live here, but others do.” She raised an eyebrow at me and I nodded in understanding.

“Sir.” Sir Aconite opened the door of the carriage and gestured for me to descend, which I managed to accomplish without splitting the pants.

I turned to help Ellery, but he had beaten me to it. As she alighted from the carriage he ran his fingers over her bare shoulder in a feather light caress.

Not attracted to women, my ass. Ellery took my arm as we mounted the steps to the palace. I remembered Lucas’s advice and I tried to follow the instructions. As I did the pants eased and felt almost comfortable.

The palace’s entire staff had lined up to greet us. We walked down a carpet the same color as the stucco through the Great Hall as they bowed. Chandeliers that looked like they were made out of tree roots twinkled and shimmered.

They were the only source of light save for the occasional candle sconce on the walls. I kept my body rigid, as I’d been advised, and we nodded to the servants.

I couldn’t help but notice that every one of them had black or dark brown hair. Even though Ellery’s hair color wasn’t light it stood out like a beacon. I sniffed and didn’t like what I smelled.

The sweet smell of decay clung to everything. Sir Aconite stayed three feet behind us and I felt his eyes boring into my back.

“Ellery, I don’t want you to eat or drink anything without me sniffing it first.” I kept my voice low as I darted my eyes around the Hall.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” she murmured in reply as she tightened her grip on my arm.

“It’s making my flesh crawl.”

We finished our walk by entering the throne room to meet Ellery’s grandmother, Queen Esmeralda. I was not expecting a grandmother to look so young or vivacious.

Ellery’s other grandmother, Liz, looked great, but she still looked believable as a woman who had raised six children.

Queen Esmeralda looked like a teenager. She was petite, probably only five foot five, with dark green eyes, and thick brown hair that had also been styled in an elaborate updo.

Her black, short sleeved gown fit her like a glove and was almost completely sheer, with only her nipples and crotch area obscured by appliqués of the fruits sacred to the Unseelie: pears, pomegranates, apples and quince.

The only jewels she wore were rings and the crown of silver thorns on her head. A mark that looked like a tattoo of feathers curved around her left bicep.

“Welcome my dear Elderflower and your handsome Other.”

“Thank you, your majesty, for bestowing on us the honor to dine with you this evening.” Ellery curtsied and I bowed. Queen Esmeralda studied me, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“So you’re the famous Alexander.” She rose from her throne to examine me more thoroughly. “The divinities have rewarded you with a beautiful man as your Other, my dear child. I do hope you will remember to make the appropriate offerings of thanks in the Temples.”

“I have not forgotten that, Mathair Mhor.” I cocked an eyebrow at Ellery and she gave the slightest shake of her head.

Queen Esmeralda walked around me in a circle and I fought the urge to cringe. I suddenly knew how a rabbit felt cornered by a fox. She made a noise of appreciation while she was behind me and I felt myself blush.

“A very beautiful man. I hope that you will bring as much prosperity to the Unseelie realm as the last fox Shifter to marry into the House of Thorn.”

Just how the hell are you supposed to respond to a statement like that? “I hope I will as well, your majesty,” I said, proud of myself for keeping the tremor out of my voice.

She came back to stand in front of us. “Please escort my granddaughter to the dining room. We will be with you shortly.”

I held my arm out for Ellery and we began the stately walk to the dining room. We found our places at the table and stood waiting for the queen and her council to arrive. The entire time I was aware of Sir Aconite’s presence behind us.

Overhead another chandelier made out of tree roots glowed, casting eerie shadows over the place settings. I glanced down at the table and got a closer look at the silverware.

“Are those…Ellery, please tell me those aren’t actually made from bones.”

“I wish I could. At least they aren’t human bones.”

“How much can I avoid eating without seeming rude?”

“About half of what you are served. Anything less will draw unwanted attention.”

“Please don’t be blood sausage,” I whispered, causing Ellery to stifle a laugh. The Queen was escorted in by one of the male members of her council while the remaining six walked in behind her. Queen Esmeralda introduced them by title, not name, and then we were seated.