Page 28 of The Lost Fae
Kai sure had a secret, a secret plot against me. But Cordelia? Does she have any secrets she hasn't already shared with the world?
Cordelia doesn't seem like the kind of woman who could contain a secret if she tried. I mean... she knew that I could take the throne away from her and she didn't even try to keep that hush-hush. Instead she made it her life mission to hunt down and kill anyone who could potentially be me at all costs.
Insane.
Sometimes in my thoughts, I watch the few clouds drifting above us move and guess images in their shapes like a child. Sometimes Lincoln's thoughts suggest an image I couldn't see on my own. His voice in my head is the only thing for me to listen to other than the pointless conversations of the pirates. Many of them don't speak either.
Eventually my ears perk up at the sound of running water. The stream sounds too small to be a waterfall, but too heavy to be just a trickling creek. A row of short, squat evergreen trees cuts off our view at a distance. The sound carries from just beyond there.
Rocks, just like the boulders along the shoreline, sit sporadically in between us and the trees. These rocks aren't rounded with years of wear on them to smooth out their rugged edges. These look as if they are statues in the making. Their shapes make up rough faces and vague bodily outlines. I wonder if there is some kind of meaning behind them and the way they are placed about. Perhaps the queen just enjoys this as her own means of art?
The trees only part in one small spot large enough for a single person to walk through without brushing or fighting against the limbs of the evergreens. We file between them one at a time and Lincoln stays at my back.
My mouth falls open as I walk into the large open space. More of the rock carvings are situated over the icy lawn that leads up to a large white building made solely of three round towers topped with onion shaped domes. The windows and curving edges are smeared with a green paint. The bulbous tops above the towers are a swirl of yellow and red that ends in a skinny point. I can still hear running water, but can’t see any at all.
The stones that were used to build the castle are roughly shaped and look more like a hodgepodge of towering blocks that a child would make at playtime than a building that's structurally sound. Still, I find it beautiful and can't keep from staring at the bright colors.
"The queen's castle." Beatrice stops abruptly, crinkling her nose at one of the statues.
"Doesn't look like a castle to me. Much more of a mansion." Ziko appears most unimpressed.
One of the statues falls over in the snow with a loud thunk. I swivel on my toes. My brows furrow as I acknowledge that not a single person is standing near the figure that has fallen. Unleveled bottom maybe? The queen should really be working on her handiwork.
Another thud sounds from the opposite direction. And I turn the other way to see another statue laying on its side.
Okay... that's weird.
Beatrice crosses her arms. "I fucking hate this part. So unnecessary."
Then both the stones start rolling toward us. Between each revolution, when the face is pointed at us, I swear I can see smiles growing on their stone lips. Both statues roll until they stop at our feet.
It takes all of me not to step away. I lock my knees and grit my teeth preparing myself for whatever is about to happen. In a movement much too graceful for stone, the statues lift themselves back to standing. Their grey eyes shift inside their skulls, granting noisily as they look around the crowd.
"God, trolls are so fucking annoying," Lincoln growls.
"Trolls?" I ask and both of their cold hard gazes snap to my face.
Eight
Riddle Me This
"Who daresapproach the castle of our one true queen of The Lost Lands?" Their lips move and their voices join in perfect harmony.
"Oh, relax." Captain Beatrice grits her teeth. "These are newcomers, come to learn the rules. We did the queen a favor. Now would you just let us on through?"
"They aren't just going to let us through." Lincoln leans toward me and whispers.
"And why not?" I ask, not sure I'm ready for the answer.
"Because they are fucking trolls and they can't do anything without first being a pain in the ass. It's just what they do."
And Kai thought so highly about the food in the troll’s realm. He never once mentioned that the creatures could do anything bothersome. But then again... he didn't mention a lot of things. Perhaps I just didn't know him as well as I thought that I did. Well, clearly, I didn't.
"What are they going to do?"
"Ask us for something." Lincoln's foot taps impatiently on the ground as he waits for them to continue.
"Like money?" I don't recall Captain Beatrice grabbing anything to bring along in offering. What else could they want from us?
