The king shook the queen’s hand away impatiently. “She has insulted me for the last time.”
I stepped back, the sword gripped loosely in my right hand, and gave him a challenging look. “Come and get me, then, coward.”
All around us the faerie court was murmuring, but I was barely aware of them. I saw only Oberon. I needed to get him to engage, to make a mistake.
And then I would finish this.
“Very well,” Oberon said, removing his crown. “We will engage in a trial by combat. No magic. Physical weapons only.”
“And when you lose, you will call off your plans for vengeance. No faerie or creature under your command will pursue me or mine any longer. The blood price will be negated. Oh, and you will allow Nathaniel, Beezle and myself safe passage home.”
“And when you lose, Madeline Black, you will have your guts torn from you before the entire court of Faerie,” Oberon said.
“Why does everyone always want my guts?” I asked. “Fine, I agree to your terms if you agree to mine.”
Oberon nodded.
“No,” I said. “I want to hear you say that you agree to my terms.”
I wasn’t stupid. Faeries love loopholes.
“I agree to your terms,” Oberon said after a long silence.
“And you, too,” I said to Titania.
“Disrespectful child,” Titania said. “Foolish child. You do not know that which you meddle in.”
“Do you agree or not?”
“I agree to your terms,” Titania said, her eyes hard as flint. She stood from her throne and clapped her hands. “The trial shall begin in ten minutes. Combatants, you may prepare yourselves.”
Oberon and Titania went into an immediate huddle. The courtiers weren’t even bothering to hide their shock and amazement. The room was abuzz with talk.
I deliberately turned my back on the king and queen, letting them know that I wasn’t afraid. Nathaniel and Beezle waited for me in the middle of the court, both of them looking resigned.
Nathaniel tugged me toward an empty corner of the room. The faeries gave us a wide berth. I didn’t know if it was because they were scared of me or because I was covered in blood. Probably a little of both.
“Is this what you intended all along?” Nathaniel said in a low voice. “To provoke Oberon into a fight?”
“No. I was just kind of going with what felt right at the moment,” I said. “Oberon is a weak link. His pride is touchy, probably because of the heir question.”
“Please do not say such a thing any louder,” Nathaniel said. “Do not give them another reason to come after you.”
“They’re not going to come for me after today,” I said. “I’m going to finish this.”
“If you beat Oberon, then what?” Beezle whispered. “Remember what we were talking about at breakfast? If you kill him, there will be magical repercussions.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, a little of my righteous anger deflating. I wasn’t interested in causing the magical equivalent of a nuclear explosion. “Well, I won’t kill him.”
“So you will defeat him and leave him humiliated before his court?” Nathaniel asked.
“That works for me,” I said.
Beezle shook his head. “You have to completely neutralize him or this will never end.”
“Look, stop worrying about the endgame,” I said. “Just tell me how I can beat him. I’m not allowed to use magic.”
“You should be,” said another voice, and we all turned to see who was eavesdropping on us.
A youngish male faerie stood there. He was handsome in an impish way, and had black hair and merry blue eyes.
“I should be what?” I asked.
“Permitted to use magic,” the faerie said. “Lord Oberon uses magic to maintain his appearance, and he won’t show his true face even during combat.”
“I’m sure that they’ll claim that a faerie’s glamour is not the same as using power for destruction, blah-de-blah,” I said. “It’s probably not worth the argument. Who are you, anyway?”
“Puck,” Beezle said thoughtfully.
“I see my reputation precedes me,” he said, bowing extravagantly. “As does yours, Madeline Black.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“It depends upon who you ask,” Puck said. “There are some members of this court who welcome your reputation, and all that comes with it.”
“Are you one of them?” I asked.
Puck smiled. “You can’t cozen me into admitting treason.”
“Is there anyone else around here who can be? A few allies wouldn’t go amiss right now,” I said.
“You present such a fearful appearance at this moment that I doubt you would get a truthful answer,” Puck said.
“Does Oberon’s glamour increase his strength or speed?” I asked Puck, getting irritated with this circular conversation.
He shrugged. “Who can say? It has been so long since Lord Oberon appeared without his glamour that he’s probably forgotten his true nature.”
“That’s not real helpful,” I said. “Are you here to help or to annoy me?”
“Who can say?” Puck repeated, winking at me.
“Yeah, okay, you’re cute,” I said, grabbing Puck’s shoulders and spinning him around. “Move along.”
He glanced back at me. “Remember, Oberon has as much at stake as you do.”
Then he disappeared into the crowd.
“That was useful,” Beezle said.
“You don’t sound sarcastic,” I said.
“That’s because I’m not. Puck helped you out.”
“Maybe I’m delirious from all the monster-fighting, but I fail to see…”
“Ladies and gentlemen of the court, the trial by combat will begin in one minute!” Puck announced. “The combatants will now step forth into the ring.”
I turned toward the center of the room and was surprised to see an actual boxing ring set on a dais in the middle of the room. Puck stood in the middle of the ring wearing a tuxedo he hadn’t been wearing a minute before.
In one corner of the ring stood Oberon. He’d stripped off the signs of his office, the jewels and furs and velvets, and wore only a pair of leather breeches. His chest was thin and milk white, but ropy muscle showed underneath his skin. In one hand he held a broadsword with a basket hilt.
“I’m not stripping down to my Skivvies,” I said to Beezle.
“Why not? Oberon might take one look at your little belly pooch and run away in terror,” he replied.
“Hark who’s talking about a belly pooch,” I said.
“Madeline has gotten thinner, in any case,” Nathaniel said.
“No, I haven’t,” I said automatically. How could I? I was overweight to begin with and now I was pregnant. I was only going to get bigger.
“No, she…” Beezle said, and then trailed off, frowning as he looked at me. “Actually, you have. I wonder if…”
“Madeline Black, please step into the ring!” Puck said in a singsong voice. “Your complete and utter destruction cannot take place without your participation!”
I climbed into the ring, wearing my bloodstained jeans and shirt and holding Lucifer’s sword. “You’re not as cute as I thought you were,” I said to Puck.
“Wait awhile and see if I change your mind,” Puck said in an undertone. Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the court and honored guests! Today’s entertainment is a trial by combat between our very own high Lord Oberon and the lady Madeline Black ap Azazel, representative of Lucifer’s court.”
“Uh-uh,” I said, not wanting the faeries to use my association with Lucifer as a new excuse to try to kill me. “I’m not representing anyone but me, and I’ve disavowed Azazel as my father.”