Melissa Marr - Darkest Mercy

To Anne Hoppe,

for loving Donia even more than I do,

for faery wings and temp tattoos,

for putting the good parts at the end of the letter,

for arguing and for not arguing,

and for skipping your tea one Saturday morning

to fall for these characters

Niall walked through the ruins of the tattoo shop. Shards of painted glass crunched under his boots. The floor was strewn with vials of ink, unopened needles, electric apparatus he couldnt identify, and other things hed rather not identify. The Dark King had known rage before, known grief; hed felt helpless, felt unprepared; but hed never before had all of those emotions converge on him at once.

He paused and lifted one of the mangled bits of metal and wire from the floor. He turned it over in his hand. Only a year ago, a tattoo machinemaybe this onehad bound Irial to the mortal who had brought the former Dark King and Niall together again after a millennium. Irial was the constant, the one faery that had been a part of Nialls lifefor better and worsefor more than a thousand years.

Niall stabbed his bloodied hand with the broken tattoo machine. His own blood welled up and mingled with the drying blood on his hands. His blood. Irials blood is on my hands because I couldnt stop Bananach. Niall lifted the broken machine in his hand, but before he could stab himself a second time, a Hound grabbed his wrist.

No. The Hound, Gabriels mate, Chela, took the machine. The stretcher is here, and

Is he awake?

Mutely, Chela shook her head and led him toward the living room, where Irial lay.

He will heal, Niall said, trying the words out, testing the Hounds reaction to his opinion.

I hope so, she said, even as her doubt washed over him.

Irial was motionless on the litter. The uneven rising and falling of his chest proved that he still lived, but the pinched look on his face made clear that he was suffering. His eyes were closed, and his taunting grin was absent.

The healer was finishing packing some sort of noxious-smelling plants against the wound, and Niall wasnt sure whether it was worse to look at Irial or at the bloodied bandages on the floor.

The Hound, Gabriels second-in-command, lowered her voice. The Hunt stands at your side, Niall. Gabriel has made that clear. We will fight at your side. We will not let Bananach near you.

Niall came to stand beside Irial and asked the healer, Well?

Hes as stable as can be expected. The healer turned to face Niall. We can make him comfortable while the poison takes him or we can end his suffer

No! Nialls abyss-guardians flared to life in shared rage. You will save him.

Bananach stabbed him with a knife carved of poison. Hes as good as d The rest of the words were lost under the Dark Kings roar of frustration.

Irial opened his eyes, grabbed Nialls hand, and rasped, Dont kill the messenger, love.

Shut up, Irial, Niall said, but he didnt pull his hand away. With his free hand, he motioned for the waiting faeries to approach. Be careful with him.

Niall released Irials hand so that the faeries could lift the stretcher.

As they left the tattoo shop, Hounds fell into formation around Niall and the injured king, walking in front, flanking them, and following them.

The former Dark Kings eyes closed again; his chest did not appear to rise.

Niall reached out and put a hand on the injured faerys chest. Irial!

Still here. Irial didnt open his eyes, but he smiled a little.

Youre an ass, Niall said, but he kept his hand on Irials chest so that he could feel both pulse and breath.

You too, Gancanagh, Irial murmured.

Far too many miles away from Huntsdale, Keenan leaned against the damp cave wall. Outside, the desert sky glimmered with stars, but he wanted to be home, had wanted to be home since almost the moment hed left. Soon. Hed needed to be away, needed to find answers, and until he did that he couldnt go back. Being on his own was unheard of, but despite the challenges, he was certain he was doing the right thing. Of course, hed been certain of a lot of things. Surety was not a trait he lacked, but it did not always lead to wise choices.

He closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

Is this what you freely choose, to risk winters chill? Sunlight flickered under his skin, and he reveled in the hope that this time it would not end, that this time, this girl, was the one hed been seeking for so long.

She didnt look away. Its what you want.

You understand that if you are not the one, youll carry the Winter Queens chill until the next mortal risks this? And you agree to warn her not to trust me? He paused, and she nodded. If she refuses me, you will tell the next girl and the nexthe moved closerand not until one accepts, will you be free of the cold.

I do understand. She walked over to the hawthorn bush. The leaves brushed against her arms as she bent down and reached under itand stopped.

She straightened and stepped away from the staff. I understand, and I want to help you . . . but I cant. I wont. Maybe if I loved you, I could, but . . . I dont love you. Im so sorry, Keenan.

Vines wrapped around her body, became a part of her, and as they stretched toward him, his sunlight faded.

He dropped to his knees . . . and was once more in front of another girl. Hed done this for centuries: asked the same words of girl after girl. He couldnt stop, not until he found her. He saw her, though, and he knew that this girl was different.

Is this what you freely choose, to risk winters chill? he asked her.

She glared at him. Its not what I want.

You understand that if you are not the one, youll carry the Winter Queens chill until the next mortal risks this? And you agree to warn her not to trust me? He held his breath for a moment, feeling the sunlight flare in his body.

I dont love you, she said.

If she refuses me, you will tell the next girl and the nexthe moved closerand not until one accepts, will you be free of the cold.

I do understand, but I dont want to be with you for eternity. I dont want to be your queen. Ill never love you, Keenan. I love Seth. She smiled at someone who stood in the shadows, and then she walked toward the hawthorn bushand kept walking.

No! Wait. He reached down, and his fingers wrapped around the Winter Queens staff. The rustling of trees grew almost deafening as he ran after her.

Her shadow fell on the ground in front of her as he stood behind her. Please, Aislinn. I know youre the one. . . .

He held out the Winter Queens staffand hoped. For a moment he even believed, but when she turned and took it from his hands, the ice filled her. Her summer-blue eyes filled with frost, and it crawled over her body.

Aislinn screamed his name: Keenan!

She stumbled toward him, and he ran from her until he couldnt breathe in the freezing air from her continuing screams.

He fell to his knees, surrounded by winter.

Keenan?

He looked up.

No. You cant. Say no. Please say no, he pleaded.

But Im here. You told me to come to you, and Im here. She laughed. You told me you needed me.

Donia, run. Please, run, he urged. But then he was compelled to ask, Is this what you freely choose, to risk winters chill?

She stared directly at him. Its what I want. Its what Ive always wanted.