He coughed once more and tried opening his eyes. I winced at how red they were. “I don’t know,” he rasped, holding it up. “I found it at the bottom of the pool. Thought I might drown before I discovered what was down there.”

  Understanding dawned. “You let yourself be taken,” I whispered.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I heard you calling me, but...it was hard enough keeping my focus on what I had to do. If I let my guard down for just a moment, I might’ve done what Annwyl wanted, which was to join her on the other side. Wherever that was.”

  My stomach tightened to the point of pain. “I’m glad you didn’t listen.”

  “It was tempting,” he confessed, and ran a hand down his face. “Seeing her again, even though I knew she wasn’t real...the pain felt real. Real enough to consider letting it all go.” His brow furrowed. “But Annwyl is gone. If I let myself be haunted by her, it’s going to consume me.” He raised his head, regarding the pool, the water flowing steadily over the sides, and his gaze hardened. “Besides, the real Annwyl would never have asked me to do that. I promised her I would live, and I still have a lot of things to set right. The least I can do is try to fix the atrocities the Lady left behind.”

  I released my breath in a puff. “Show me what you found.”

  He held up his hand, turning it over to reveal what lay in his grasp. It was...a snow globe, or something very similar. The clear crystal ball had flecks of white drifting through the glass like a miniature blizzard. “I looked as long as I could, but I didn’t find anything else.”

  I took the globe from him, turning it over and back in my hand. The second I did, the snow swirled frantically, and faces began appearing in the glass, blinking into existence and fading away. There and gone far too quickly to see. The litany of faces continued, all different, all vanishing in a fraction of a blink. A wail arose from the tiny globe, hundreds of voices all screaming out at once. A cry of agony from countless fey that no longer existed.

  An answering wail rang out horrifyingly close, and the tower beneath us trembled with the sound of beating wings.

  “The Wailing One. She’s coming.” Keirran and I leaped to our feet as the huge, dark form of the Elder Nightmare rose into the air just beyond the edge of the tower. The faces in its wings screamed at us, as did the female head, but the male head’s jaws opened, an ominous red glow blooming at the back of its throat. There was no cover at the top of the tower, and only a sheer plunge straight down to the last floor. As the column of fire swept forward, I turned and slammed into Keirran, knocking us both into the pool of tears.

  The water closed over my head, and I held my breath, hearing the muffled roar of flames above me. In my hand, the globe pulsed like a heartbeat, and instead of muffling the screams, the water seemed to amplify them. A maelstrom of noise swirling around us, shrieking and howling in my ears.

  To defeat a named Elder Nightmare, you must destroy the essence. The core that represents what it is.

  The king’s regret. That was what I held in my hands. His grief at not being able to save his people, a sorrow so great it had taken form and turned into a Nightmare. I could feel the steady throb of the globe in my fingers, the vibrations of the voices shrieking around me. I cradled the globe in both hands.

  I understand. I accept your sorrow and your grief. It will become part of me, but it will not consume me. And when we finally meet, I will understand a little more.

  I brought my hands together, crushing the globe and the glass.

  The shards sliced into me, cutting my palms and fingers, which burned like they were on fire. A howl rose from the shattered globe, louder than anything I had heard before, making the water vibrate around us.

  A surge of glamour, a powerful pulse of magic, drove away everything else. Opening my eyes, ignoring the instant burning sensation, I found myself floating beneath the surface of the pool. Keirran hung suspended beside me, his eyes still closed, his silver hair a bright cloud in the water. Faces swirled around us, a miasma of dark, roiling glamour. I extended a hand, opening myself up to the magic, and absolute rage and despair lanced through me. Was this what Ash had felt when he was tempted by the Nightmare glamour? This sensation of wanting to lash out, to take this power and use it to destroy everything in my path?

  The scream of the Wailing One echoed above me. I clenched my fist, and glamour rippled along my veins, hot and powerful. I was the Iron Queen again, and this Nightmare had tormented us long enough.

  I raised a hand and sent a surge of energy pulsing in all directions.

  The marble pool cracked, then exploded as the energy strands slammed into it. Water and stones went flying as the pool disintegrated, draining in an instant and dumping me to the rocky floor of the tower.

  I rose from the remains of the pool, gazing around. The blast of energy had not only shattered the pool; it had blown off the roof of the tower and torn through the walls, so I now stood on an empty platform high above the castle grounds. The Wailing One hovered a few feet away, leathery wings beating the air, two sets of eyes blazing down at me. The faces in its wings seemed to have vanished, though the female head still opened her mouth and screamed her sorrow and rage, buffeting me and making the very tower tremble.

  Behind me, Keirran stirred, coughing, and pushed himself to his hands and knees. I saw his hands clench into fists, and the water beneath him crinkled, turning to ice.

  I turned back to the Nightmare, feeling glamour surging through me once more. Raising a hand, I gathered that power to me. A glowing ball of crimson grew in my hands, the light flickering and dancing off the stones.

  The Wailing One howled a challenge, and I hurled the ball of light. It crackled as it instantly became a strand of lightning and slammed into the Nightmare’s chest, exploding into flickering ribbons of energy.

  The Nightmare reeled back with a scream. Tendrils of darkness coiled from its chest and writhed into the air. The female head lowered, jaws gaping, and I braced myself for another ear-splitting wail. Instead, a stream of clear liquid shot from her open lips, hurling toward me. I dodged, and the stream struck the remains of the pool, which steamed and bubbled as the liquid melted through it.

  Okay. Did not know she could do that.

  The head sobbed and disgorged another stream of acid, spewing it over the stones toward me. I scrambled back and hurled a quick bolt of lightning, but the head twisted out of the way. The male head swept down, jaws opening, and a tornado of flame roared through the air.

  It met a sudden blast of ice that stopped it in its tracks, and steam billowed as the two elements slammed into each other. Heart pounding, I looked back to see Keirran on his feet, eyes hard and one hand outstretched as he directed his own glamour at the Nightmare.

  The female head whipped around, lips curling back as she spotted Keirran. She took a breath, but something streaked through the air from the side, slamming into her. A long spear of ice, the point punching through the other side of the monster’s neck. She wailed, and my heart leaped in my chest.

  A black cloud of screaming ravens descended from the sky, swarming around the male Nightmare, which was still breathing fire. Its flames sputtered out as it reeled back, shaking its head and snapping at the birds. Keirran raised his other arm, and layers of frost spread across the Nightmare’s scaly body, solidifying into sheets of ice. The Wailing One screamed, staggering in midair. The female head swung toward Keirran again and met a spinning crescent of light that struck her in the eyes. Two more followed, hitting the Nightmare in the face, and she recoiled, blinded and reeling.

  I took a deep breath, drawing the dark glamour from the air, feeling it crackle as it rushed into me. I let it build, a churning mass of power, anger, grief, and despair. My eyes blurred, poisonous tears streaming down my face. I looked up at the Nightmare, seeing exactly what it was, knowing there was nothing I could do to help it or the ones it grieved for. I raised a hand, releasing all that energy, power, emotion, and magic into the air. Above the Wailing One, the skies churned with clouds, a dark swirling vortex that flashed with crimson light.

  “Everyone, get clear!” I shouted, and saw the flock of ravens disperse, scattering to different parts of the castle. The barrage of ice and moonlight blades ceased, and behind me, Keirran took a few quick steps back. Left in peace for just a moment, the two heads of the Wailing One shook themselves, glared down at me, and snarled. For a split second, the Nightmare was bathed in a sullen red glow...

  And then the rain of lightning struck it dead center, trapping it in a web of flickering energy. The Wailing One jerked up as the lightning tore through it, shredding it apart. It gave one last scream, both male and female voices rising as one, before it unraveled into writhing tendrils of shadow. Ghostly faces emerged from the cloud, trailing darkness behind them as they flew into the sky, their mournful wails growing ever more distant, and vanished into the wind.

  23

  THE FOREST OF MIST

  I staggered back and sank to one knee on the stones, my breath coming in short gasps. The anger and grief of the Elder Nightmare still raged through me, and my eyes burned with tears. I clenched a fist on the floor and willed those emotions into check, breathing deep to find my calm. The Nightmare glamour pulsed in my ears, tangled up with emotion, but I forced it down, turning it into raw determination. With a deep breath, I rose, glancing at Keirran to make sure he was all right. He leaned against the broken wall, breathing hard, but I saw the ice spread out around him and felt the chill of his glamour in the air.

  “Meghan!”

  I turned as Ash strode across the floor, and a moment later his arms were around me, crushing us together. Closing my eyes, I relaxed against him, listening to his heartbeat and letting my guard down for just a moment.

  “Is everyone all right?” I whispered, and felt him nod.

  “We were able to keep the Nightmare distracted for a while,” he murmured, still holding me close, “but then, whatever you and Keirran did caught its attention. It abandoned the fight and went charging off toward the tower. We followed it, but none of us could fly, so we had to take the long way around. A few minutes later, there was this pulse of glamour that went through the air. I assume that was you, destroying the essence or soul jar or whatever the Nightmare was guarding up here.”

  “Regret,” I said softly. “The king’s regret.”

  Ash’s embrace tightened. “In any case,” he murmured, “we were able to rejoin the battle, with magic this time.”

  “And man, lovebirds, let me tell you how nice it is to be able to fly again!”

  Puck dropped onto the edge of the tower and stood, shaking feathers from his hair as he grinned widely at us. Reaching up, he plucked out an ebony pinfeather and twirled it between thumb and forefinger, shaking his head. “How did I ever go this long without annoying a giant monster with a really irritating flock of ravens? No wonder I wasn’t feeling myself.” He gave a dramatic sigh and released the feather, letting it spiral into the wind. “A Puck with no magic just isn’t the same.”

  “You should try not to waste it, Puck.” Our Nyx appeared, sliding out of a clump of shadows. “There’s not a limitless source like in the Nevernever. We’re going to have to make it last until we reach the Nightmare King and... What are you doing?”

  Puck took a few quick steps toward the assassin, pulled her close, and kissed her. Nyx stiffened, but after a moment she relaxed, either in resignation or acceptance, and slipped an arm around his neck. Against the wall, Keirran rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, too.

  Nyx drew in a slow breath as they pulled back. “Is this tradition, then?” she asked, one brow raised as she gazed up at Puck. “Something I need to prepare for every time we win a fight?”

  Puck gave her a fierce grin. “Hey, I’m all for starting traditions,” he said. “We just beat a huge, almost indestructible baddie, got our magic back, and no one died in the battle. I’m feeling pretty good.”

  “That is good to hear,” said Grimalkin’s voice. “And I would take the Evenfaery’s advice and not waste the magic you have gleaned tonight. Because the next stop is the Nightmare King’s castle.”

  That sobered everyone. We had defeated one enemy, but the hardest task still loomed: finding our way to the mysterious door in the throne room, past the hordes of monsters and Elder Nightmares, and confronting the Nightmare King himself.

  “You can still get us there, right, Nyx?” Keirran asked.

  She nodded, stepping out of Puck’s arms. “Mostly. If I cannot, the others will be able to. Their memories of this world are recent, whereas mine...are still scattered.”

  “Where are the others?” I wondered.

  “They were checking on Gilleas when I saw them last,” Nyx replied. “Between us, we should be able to find the edge of the Forest of Mist. The real question is, will we be able to find the castle within the forest? Gilleas was able to make his way there, long ago. But the Forest of Mist is a fickle thing. Its borders shift, and within the forest, everything moves around—trees, rocks, even the castle. You’ll rarely find anything in the same place twice.”

  “How far is this forest?” Ash wanted to know.

  “Not far,” Grimalkin said. “In fact, once we cross this mountain range, we should see the edge. Do not ask me how I know that, Goodfellow,” he added, stopping Puck as he opened his mouth. “As I told you before, I was around before this world was sealed away. I remember certain things about it. And I am quite sure that I have been to the castle.”

  “Not to mention,” Nyx added, a half smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, “he is a cat.”

  Puck nearly choked on his laughter. “Oh, to hear that phrase not come from Grimalkin,” he chortled, while Grim thumped his tail and pretended not to hear. “I’ve never been so proud.”

  * * *

  The Elder Nightmare was dead. We had our glamour back, or at least, we had a reserve of magic again. How long it would last, I didn’t know, but hopefully it would be enough to get us to the Nightmare King’s castle and through the monsters that prowled the land between us.

  The trek across the mountains didn’t take long, though exactly how long was impossible to tell in a land with no sunrise. However, nothing stopped us or got in our way; no giant bats or lesser Nightmares swooped out of the sky to impede our progress. When we crossed the final mountain range, I gazed down the cliff side into what looked like a sea of mist. An ocean of gray clouds, hanging over the entire valley, as far as the eye could see. Somewhere, waiting in that murky sea of fog, was the Nightmare King’s castle.

  And the Nightmare King himself.

  We stopped to rest once more before heading down into the valley. Knowing that Nightmares and Elder Nightmares prowled the eerie forest, I didn’t want us to start the last, and most dangerous, leg of the journey while we were exhausted. Staking out a flat ledge that overlooked the valley, we started a fire, took turns dozing against the rocks, and made our final preparations to confront the Nightmare King.

  Though I still had no idea what we were going to do when we found him.

  “I wonder what’s happening in the Nevernever right now,” Puck mused, poking the flames of the small fire he’d started. “You think Oberon, Titania, and Mab are still sitting where we left them, at the site of the seal?”

  “They said they would be,” I replied. “And if they all share Faery’s memories of the Nightmare King, they know they can’t pretend this isn’t happening. I don’t think even Titania is willing to ignore this, especially if it threatens her rule of Summer.”

  Puck snorted. “The Nightmare King wouldn’t want the Summer Court, anyway,” he said. “He’d take one look at it, go, ‘Hss, too bright!’ like a vampire, and then move on to Winter.” He sighed, tossing the stick into the fire to be consumed by flames. “Man, I miss the sun.”

  Sitting beside Other Nyx, Varyn narrowed golden eyes at Puck. “And what is a vampire, that you would compare our king to one, Nevernever fey?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know.” Puck waved a hand. “They’re broody, they creep through the shadows, they have an aversion to sunlight...kinda like you guys—ow!” He jerked and glanced at our Nyx, who raised a brow at him. “Present company excluded, of course, geez.”

  Gilleas moved around the fire, gliding from the darkness like a wraith. Crossing his long legs like some kind of giant insect, he lowered himself with a groan. “Tell me about the Nevernever,” the Evenfaery said, turning his deer skull in my direction. “I am curious. You said it has changed since the time of the Lady and her circle. That kings and queens now rule parts of Faery in their different courts?”

  “Yes,” I said. “There are three official courts within the Nevernever—Summer, Winter, and Iron. The Seelie fey make up the Summer Court, which is ruled by King Oberon and Queen Titania.”

  “That would be my court,” Puck broke in. “Obviously. Pretty nice place, too, except for the harpy known as Queen Titania, Lady of Spite. But nobody likes her. Unlike me—everybody loves me.”

  I saw a collective eye roll from nearly everyone, and bit down a smile.

  “And what of the others?” Gilleas continued. “If there is a Summer Court, then it stands to reason that there is a Winter Court.”

  “Queen Mab rules the Winter Court, where the Unseelie live,” I went on. “Tir Na Nog is at the heart of her territory, just like Arcadia is for Summer. Then you have the Iron territories, my domain. The capital of the Iron Realm is Mag Tuiredh, where most of the Iron fey live.”

  Gilleas slowly shook his head in disbelief. “Iron fey,” he repeated. “Has the rest of Faery changed so much? Do the Nevernever fey no longer fear the touch of iron? Have the Evenfey fallen that far behind?”

  “No.” This was from Ash, who had been making a snowflake dance around the fire in front of us. He’d claimed it was practice, but I think he missed his Winter glamour as much as I missed my Iron and Summer. “Iron is still deadly to all fey except those from the Iron Realm,” he told Gilleas. “The fey of Summer and Winter can’t cross into Meghan’s territory without harming themselves. It was...interesting, trying to maintain the peace between all three courts. But nowadays, we think we have it worked out.”